


Picture Book

by NanakiBH



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Ending, Disability, Fix-It, Future Fic, M/M, Married Life, Romance, Slice of Life, Sweet Tender Lovemaking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-22 18:52:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 31,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9620936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NanakiBH/pseuds/NanakiBH
Summary: If there were a chance he would be able to see Noctis smile again, he would hold out his hands.





	1. Sunshower

**Author's Note:**

> I was totally enamored with this idea. When I started, I hadn't realized how long it would potentially be, but then I was like Well Whatever and let it keep going for as long as it needed.
> 
> I couldn't imagine letting Ignis miraculously have his vision back without first showing what life is like for him without it. That part felt very important. He's very strong.
> 
> Anyhow, my favorite part is the last chapter, so I hope you make it all the way there!

Another morning; one of many that were very alike.

As he frequently did, Ignis woke before Noctis. His warm back was still pressed against Ignis's chest and he could hear the soft inhale and the slow, even exhale that said that he was still asleep. For just a while, knowing that he wasn't being observed, Ignis pressed his nose to the back of his neck and took a breath, letting his thoughts float back down into the gentle hands of sleep before finally making the attempt to rouse himself from bed.

He rolled over, tucking the bed sheets in to fill his place and keep Noctis cozy and warm. He didn't want to risk waking the precious king when he still had a bit of time to sleep, especially when he had a busy schedule ahead of him.

Carefully, quietly, Ignis put his feet over the side of the bed and reached for the bedside table where he knew he would find his pocket watch. It was a present he'd received from Noctis sometime soon after he'd lost his vision. Apart from being a handsome gift, it had also become an indispensable part of his daily routine. That one little timepiece kept his life on schedule, helped keep him organized, kept him centered in a sense of time and place that he wouldn't have had without it.

At any time, especially while indoors where there was no light for him to see, he could slide his fingers over the watch's exposed hands to determine the hour. Twelve o'clock was at the top, where the chain attached. Knowing that, it was easy to find the time.

With the hour hand near the bottom and the minute hand not far behind, he could tell that it was just after six thirty in the morning. There was plenty of time for him to make a trip to the kitchen before Noctis needed to be awake.

After spending ten years in the dark, he'd learned how to live there. The space around him became familiar to his hands. Quietly getting dressed posed him no hassle at all, and he just as easily fixed his hair in the bathroom.

With himself in order, he retrieved his glasses from the bedside; the finishing touch.

Unable to help himself, Ignis turned around when he reached the bedroom door and returned to place a kiss to the sleeping king's cheek, then just as quietly took his leave.

 

Ten years...

 

The first year was terrifying. Every day was filled with anxiety and a dreadful sense of hopelessness. Back then, it had to have been a miracle that he hadn't gotten in Noctis's way. But they stayed together – the four of them. They remained strong and by each other's sides, even despite the individual adversities that had threatened to tear them apart. It was simple selfishness that made him wish to remain with them even when his usefulness had disintegrated, but Noctis had been adamant that he stay.

To move forward, he needed him, he said.

As much as his heart had been touched by those words, it didn't ease the fear of what he knew awaited them. To return the light of dawn to the world, he knew that a terrible price needed to be paid. All along, before his world turned dark, from the very beginning, he knew that Noctis would eventually vanish from his sight.

At that time, he acknowledged that it wouldn't have mattered if he could see or not. Noctis would be gone and he'd never see him again.

But things were funny like that.

For that arduous decade, though he grieved for the loss of his sight to some degree every day, he believed that it must have been an exchange. In a technical sense, his worst fear had come true; he could no longer see Noctis. But he could feel him. He was still there. He was alive. So when Ignis considered the amount of pure and unconditional love he received every day, the cost of his sight seemed like a pretty small price to pay.

In the end, when the dust cleared, the four of them stood among the fresh remains of the place that used to be their home. Noctis took his throne and everything was as it should be. They were exhausted, having given everything they had, but they were relieved because the bitter ending they had spent their lives preparing themselves for hadn't come.

That was their treasure. Truly, although they rejoiced for Insomnia, it was the life of their one friend they were most thankful for.

To honor their victory, Noctis vowed to be the last king of Lucis. Power that required self-sacrifice was a no-go for a king whose very life was the people's hope.

In the place where they found triumph over Ardyn and the darkness, there was a sense of relief, even if the eerie silence of the ruined, evacuated city reminded them of all that had been lost. It felt as though the days of his usefulness laid strewn about Ignis in tatters. Without the ability to see, that was reality. As he'd promised, he struggled to the end with them and took a hand in restoring the light, but he knew that the light would never return to his eyes. He was just glad that Noctis was safe. To ask for anything more than that would have been unconscionable.

Noctis would find someone else to serve him, he thought.

As much as he wished to find a way to stay near him, to beg for a place at his side, Ignis was prepared to quietly withdraw.

That same day, Noctis put an end to those thoughts.

He proposed.

Even if he found things too hard, even if he decided to put himself and his own well-being first, Noctis said that he wanted him to be there. It didn't matter if his life as his adviser ended there. He wanted him to stay. He wanted his oldest friend – the person he loved – to stay with him when all else had been lost.

The part of Ignis that still believed that dreams didn't come true wanted to think that it was desperation that made Noctis say those things. Like the little boy he used to know, he was just holding on to his coattails, hiding in his shadow, seeking him when he felt weak and afraid. He couldn't protect him like that anymore... But he wanted to. Even if it seemed pathetic and foolish, he still wanted to dedicate every ounce of himself to Noctis. He wanted to give him everything, even his last breath.

Besides, they were standing there in front of their friends. It would have been horribly rude for him to say no.

They never had to accept the way that their lives had changed, but they got used to it. He never officially stepped down as Noctis's adviser and Noctis never dismissed him, so Ignis took his time and did many of the things he would have before, struggling until he invented ways to make it possible. With the state that Insomnia was in, there was much to do, so it took them a long time before Noctis finally announced their engagement. It hadn't been more than a year since their victory, but Ignis set a goal for himself – that he wouldn't require a cane by the time they walked down the aisle.

And he did well.

Ten years later, and he didn't require any special means to find his way. He just got used to talking more. As long as there were people around, he could ask for directions. He could ask what was in front of him or what he should be looking for. Textures were important. Nuances in sounds were important. Recognizing voices and individual patterns in movement became his ways of identifying people. It all became second nature.

Though he tried to keep the attitude he'd always lived with, it was hard to stay the same. In order to achieve that goal, he had to struggle in humiliating ways. He had to embarrass himself countless times until his old self was weakened enough to ask others for help. He no longer held the illusion that anyone saw him the way they used to, as the entirely self-sufficient, implacable adviser to the king.

He still filled that role to an extent... But he was glad that being the kingdom's new prince afforded him some slack. The general public didn't seem to expect anything from him, interestingly enough. To his surprise, they admired him and his closeness to Noctis.

The way that Noctis became the embodiment of their hope, he became the symbol of loyalty to the king.

Ignis didn't think he was anyone so special... Though, it wasn't like they were wrong. His loyalty to Noctis was undying.

They'd been married for nine years and he still loved him as much as he did the day they were wed. He felt honored that there were people who admired their relationship, but he did believe that it was a thing worth admiring. He admired it himself.

In a twist of fate, Noctis became the one who guided him. Because Ignis no longer needed to lead the way, he was allowed to follow behind Noctis at his own pace. Just because they were married, that didn't stop Noctis from being his goal. Ignis wanted to keep working every day to be someone worthy of him.

Every night, he went to sleep with the intention of becoming an even better version of himself the next day.

That sleepyhead was still counting on him, after all.

 

So, as he did many times, Ignis slipped out of the royal chambers before Noctis awoke.

He didn't need to plan or prepare anything for him. The meeting he was to attend that morning had already been decided, so it was just a matter of making sure he was awake on time. Although Noctis had even gotten better about waking himself up, Ignis delighted in waking him personally. A little loving encouragement in the morning always got him ready to handle those kingly obligations he felt reluctant to attend to.

The palace was always filled with a respectful and calming sort of quiet; an ideal environment for someone who relied on the subtleties of the sounds around him for direction.

In the first year of blindness, he walked all over the palace. There were those who didn't understand what his frequent strolls were about, and, though he really didn't want to explain himself, he also wanted to know their voices, so he told them and received all kinds of useful information in return.

He was walking so that his feet would remember the floor, so that he wouldn't have to use his cane or his hands to find his place in the hallways.

The cane was abandoned at the point he could judge how far he'd walked based on how long it took him to reach one corner of the palace to the other. He counted each footstep, internalized the time. The only time he became lost was when he'd be interrupted, but even interruptions eventually posed him no trouble. He took pride in being able to mystify the palace staff with his precise movements and actions.

As he did many mornings in the past, Ignis let his feet take him to that familiar place, humming to himself softly.

For some reason, he had a good feeling, as if there were something good awaiting on the horizon. He didn't know what that could be, though. It was probably just Noctis. Feeling him in the morning greatly set his heart at ease.

When he lost his vision, he'd been afraid that there were things he would gradually forget the sight of, but Noctis's smile was still vivid in his memory. It had been burned into his memory long before then.

When he was young, he hated cooking. It was difficult and troublesome and learning recipes was a bother. There were too many things to memorize. But it was a useful skill, so he kept his grumbling to himself like always and kept trying. Every skill he learned was meant to benefit the future king, even something as trifling as cooking.

Then there was that one day...

He let Noctis try his cooking. He hadn't been nervous, but a part of him must have been anxious to see his reaction. After taking a taste of his food, the smile Noctis gave him caught him so off guard, there was no way he could forget it. It moved something inside of him and changed everything. From that day forward, even if it took him a long time to realize it, everything he did was for him, all by conscious choice – because he wanted to. Because he wanted to see that smile again.

In his teens, he made frequent trips to the palace kitchen to use their ovens, just practicing on his own without an excuse. The head chef asked him what he was there for once and the answer hadn't been there yet. In the deepest part of his heart, he knew that he was there because he wanted to make something that would make Noctis happy, but he just told himself that it was... Something else. Anything else. It didn't matter what the excuse was because he simply didn't think about it.

But, after he was asked, he began to think about it. When the smile he'd seen on Noctis's young face returned to his memory, something unforgettable shook his heart.

Of course it pained him that he'd never get to see it again. Remembering wasn't enough to quiet the ache, but the strong band of gold that encircled his finger was, itself, like an eternal smile, reminding him that their happiness was something more than could be seen.

It was alright. He'd accomplished his seemingly impossible dream. And the story wasn't going to end there. He was going to keep making him happy – one kiss, one pastry, and one poorly-delivered pun at a time, doing everything the way that only he could do it.

 

That same head chef was still working there in the palace kitchen. Thankfully, he'd managed to evacuate with the others at the time of the invasion. In general, many old members of the staff had returned to serve Noctis when he returned. Before their engagement was announced, everyone was surprised to see that Ignis was back as well, considering his condition, but he hadn't let that bother him.

He really bewildered the head chef by showing back up in the kitchen, though. He must have assumed that his blindness would stop him from trying to cook.

Well, it hadn't stopped him. It proved a challenge, for sure, but Ignis was used to challenges. When he first started cooking, he thought it was the most troublesome thing he'd ever done, so, with his experience, it was like going back to the beginning. Like with everything else, he just had to adapt and find a new way.

 

“Good morning.”

He waited... But it seemed like no one was in the kitchen to greet him that morning. Strange, because the head chef was usually already there at that time, preparing breakfast. It smelled like there was something sweet in the oven, but the chef must have left for the moment. Ignis was used to announcing his presence to empty rooms, though. It was unavoidable sometimes.

After a moment, however, he heard the sound of something moving across the room, like a bowl on the counter near the sinks.

“Pardon?” he said, just in case.

“Oh- Um... Hello- I mean...! G-good morning, Prince Ignis.”

So someone was there, after all. Whoever it was, he didn't recognize their voice. It sounded like a young man. Had he been trying to hide his presence in the hope that he would leave before noticing? That annoyed Ignis a little, but he was going to take it easy on him since he sounded nervous.

“We haven't met, have we?” he asked, stepping into the kitchen, touching the edge of the table nearest to the door so he could find his way where the young man was standing. “Is the head chef out today?”

“No... He's here. He just left for the moment,” he said. The boy shuffled his feet anxiously. “I'm just... Um-... I guess you could call me an apprentice? Not like the head chef is retiring or anything! I-I'm sorry... I was already told about how this kitchen belongs to you, so I'm very sorry if it sounds like I'm imposing.”

What an amusing boy.

“ _Mine?_ ” Ignis asked, laughing. “He must have exaggerated. True, I do have a whole cabinet all to myself here,” filled with his own personal cooking utensils and herbs and spices that were specially labeled for his ease, “but this kitchen hardly belongs to _me._ Cooking is simply a hobby for me. These days, I only make pastries that please His Majesty. Everything else is the head chef's work. I wouldn't dare step on his toes.”

He gave an audible sigh. “I see... But still...”

“Hm?” Ignis tilted his head.

He could practically hear the young man's hand-wringing. “Y-you're the prince! I-I'm sorry... I just had to get that out. I knew I'd end up running into you here eventually, but it's kind of overwhelming. You see... Um...” He cut himself off abruptly. “No, forget it.”

It was rude to leave him hanging like that. Ignis wanted to know what he was going to say.

“Your name?” he asked.

“Huh?” Like he forgot his own name for a second there. “Oh...! Uh- David? My name's David. It's an honor, Your Highness.”

Ignis laughed and reached out, giving him a comforting pat on the shoulder. “Thank you, but there's no need to be so formal with me. 'Ignis' is fine. 'His Highness' is my husband. Noctis and I knew a Dave, once... The leader of the Hunters' guild. A good man.”

“Right...”

Odd reaction.

“Ah yes, there was something else you were about to say before?” Ignis asked.

David was quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts in the silence. “I... just wanted to tell you that you've always been my biggest inspiration. When I was young, I really enjoyed things that weren't typical for boys. I liked cleaning and sewing and I got really into cooking. It was always just me and my dad, though, and he wasn't around very often. He always wanted me to grow up and take after him, like he thought that was the only way to live. But... After he saw the way you were able to assist King Noctis along his journey to restore Insomnia, he started to encourage me instead. I think, after he met you and King Noctis, he became a new person.”

“Wait...” Ignis's mind frantically tried to connect the dots. “Could it be...? Are you...”

David laughed softly. “Right. I think you got it. I'm Dave's son. A-again, it's an honor to meet you, Prince Ignis.”

That was what he thought, but Ignis was still trying to piece it together. He had no idea that Dave had a child. At least, he'd never talked about having a child, and it wasn't like he and the others were close enough to him to find out about his family. They met his mother that one time, who certainly would have been old enough to have been someone's grandmother. The young man standing in front of him didn't sound any older than twenty years old, so he must have been very young back then.

Ignis felt kind of old all of a sudden.

“My. Fate works in mysterious ways, doesn't it? You seem nothing like your father.”

“If he hadn't met you, I'm not sure that would've been the case. I might've ended up joining the hunters if it were up to him. Even if we're different, I do love my dad, so I might've followed in his footsteps to make him happy, but I know that he's proud of where I am now. Today's the first day I set foot in the palace. I-I can't wait to give him a call later.”

Ignis was still feeling wearily old, but he couldn't ignore how much their unexpected encounter had warmed his heart. “Do tell him that Noct and I say hello. It's been quite a while. I wouldn't be surprised if Noct and I happened to run into him again one of these days. When that happens, I'll be sure to put in a good word for you – assuming you take care of this kitchen.”

He expected a laugh at the least, but David was unusually quiet for a moment after that.

“Something the matter?” Ignis asked.

“...'Noct'?” David asked.

So that was it. “Ah. It's the king's nickname. I'm not surprised you haven't heard it before. The only ones who call him that are myself and our two oldest friends.”

“Probably a privilege, right? Like, I probably have to be really, really, _really_ close to him before I could call him that.”

“Seeing how the only ones who call that are myself, his lifelong bodyguard, and his best friend from high school... Yes. If you hope to be that close to the king, then perhaps you should start by aiming to become the greatest chef in the kingdom.”

A challenge most fierce. It was probably cruel of him to set such a lofty goal for him. Noctis wouldn't have been that bothered if Dave's own son wanted to call him by his nickname.

“Okay.” That was fast. “But I'm going to feel kind of bad about it. Becoming the best chef in the kingdom means I'm going to have to surpass you, doesn't it?”

“Oh, please. I wouldn't be any competition to you now. I don't cook like I used to. I just bumble about the kitchen until I come up with something that probably only halfway resembles food.” Perhaps that made him sound too critical of himself, but it was the truth. He only had Noctis's word to assure him that his dishes still looked as appealing as they used to. “If you want the king to love you, ply him with pastry.”

From the doorway, he heard another voice.

“You'd know all about that, wouldn't you, lad?”

Ignis snorted. He hadn't even heard him enter. “Head chef...”

The chef was probably the one person who realized his feelings before Ignis realized them for himself, but seeing as how he was supposed to strictly be Noctis's chamberlain then, there was no point in discussing it. Even playfully teasing him about his hopeless teenage feelings for Noctis wouldn't have been helpful or appreciated. His past self would have probably become indignant at the mere suggestion of an attraction.

Years later, though, it was good to know that he had the support of the one who he considered his teacher.

“I see you've met my new right hand,” the chef said.

Ignis heard the thwump of his large hand clapping the kid on the back, followed by David's startled yelp.

Ignis nodded, then lifted his chin, sniffing the air. “I have, and I'm curious what he's got baking. Breakfast? It smells familiar.”

“It should,” the chef said. “It's one of your own recipes. Hope you don't mind. After I found out how much David idolizes you, I couldn't help myself. I cracked open that old notebook of yours and found the recipe for that dessert you spent so much time trying to perfect. That was the one for Noctis, wasn't it? You didn't give it a name.”

The chef made a mistake. If he was looking for that recipe, then he was looking in the wrong place. “Actually, I did give it a name. It's called Memory Lane... And I'm afraid the recipe doesn't exist. It's been years since I've seen that notebook with my own eyes, but I'm sure you must have noticed how many scratches were on that page. What I wrote down was simply a trajectory. I revised and re-revised it many times.”

“What changes did you make in the final version?” David asked.

“There is no final version. I never perfected it. I suppose that depending on perspective, you could say that I perfected it by acknowledging that it would never be perfect. To Noct and I, it's Memory Lane, but what you have in the oven is something else.”

“Something else? H-how different could it be?” David asked, sounding one part curious, three parts concerned.

Sighing, Ignis attempted to explain again. “As I said, that was a trajectory – like a road map for a dessert I spent years of my life trying to recreate from Noct's memory. I change something about it every time I make it.” He groaned softly. “I remember how frustrated it made me sometimes. Just when I'd think I was getting closer, he'd tell me it still wasn't right. Then, when I was sure that I'd found the missing ingredient, he told me that wasn't right, either.”

It had been right, though. At that point, it was complete. Or it should've been, technically.

When he bit into it, Noctis obviously pretended to enjoy it. They'd finally solved the mystery, but Noctis hadn't looked happy. The smile Ignis was always seeking had been missing.

He never made it with ulwaat berries again after that. They were hard to come by anyway.

The chef came over and held his shoulder. Ignis imagined him shaking his head at him. “The king just won't touch it unless you made it, let's be honest.”

Ignis couldn't suppress his smile. “Must you remove the ambiguity?”

“I guess these are a hopeless case, then,” David lamented.

“I can be the judge of that,” Ignis said, volunteering himself as a taste tester. “Isn't it about time for them to come out of the oven?”

David sounded hesitant to let his idol try his creation, but he also couldn't bring himself to turn him down. It was an opportunity for him to show Ignis his potential, so, despite his reservations, he swallowed his nerves and eagerly retrieved the pastries from the oven.

After a bit of waiting and chatting, David put one of the pastries on a dish and handed it to him. Ignis was silently grateful for the ease with which he placed it in his hands, seemingly with no hesitation. The slight trembling he sensed seemed to stem only from David's own nervousness as he anticipated his reaction.

Ignis lifted the plate and breathed in its pleasant fragrance. “Strawberry...” He'd never made it with all strawberry before. He couldn't detect any other berry fragrances and neither David nor the chef corrected him. For once, he felt like he could imagine what it must have been like for Noctis when he tried his attempts at the dessert. With that thought making his chest feel warm, he raised the delicate pastry to his lips and took a bite.

“Well?” David asked.

He hadn't even given him the time to think yet. Ignis took his time and took another bite to be sure – and because it was good.

“Very fine work,” he said. David's delight was audible to his ears. “It's quite different from the way I used to make it. The fresh strawberry gives it a youthful sweetness. The individuality of its creator is the recipe's true hidden ingredient, so what you have here is your recipe and yours alone.” So that praise wouldn't go to his head, Ignis added, “However, you may have used too much butter. The dough isn't flaky enough.”

“I probably have a ways to go before it's worthy of the king,” David said.

“Nonsense. I came here for breakfast and coffee. I'll take one to him to try. I want to see if he can spot the difference.”

The head chef gave him an elbow. “You sly fox. What if he thinks you made it?”

“Then perhaps I'll have him try to make it himself,” Ignis said. He enjoyed the thought of that – but he also hoped that Noctis would notice. His last attempts at it hadn't been spectacular by his own standards. “Nevertheless... It was a pleasure,” he said, extending a hand which David eagerly shook.

The chef packaged up one of the pastries for Noctis and also packed up what was left of the one Ignis tried. The coffee was already made, so he got that for him as well and asked if he needed help carrying it back. Like always, Ignis assured him that he would be fine on his own.

That good feeling he noticed earlier had been fulfilled in the most unexpected way. Who would have ever thought that he would run into Dave's son in the palace kitchen? _Who knew that Dave had a son?_ His mind was still boggling at that one. Noctis was going to have a good laugh about what happened – but not before he'd have him try David's pastry, of course.

 

On his way back, he greeted the Crownsguard men in the hall and tried to wave to the morning staff as best as he could while balancing two coffees and pastry. He could sense the light from the windows in the hall. Though faint and colorless, it was still bright enough to his sensitive eyes to give him a slight pain. It was easy to ignore, remembering that the sun wouldn't have shined without Noctis – without them.

When he reached the royal chambers, Ignis made sure to be quiet as he opened the door, mindful of the sleeping king.

As he stepped into the bedroom, he was surprised to notice the light from the bedroom window. He hadn't pulled the curtains back.

“G'morning.”

Ignis's brows lifted. “You're awake.” That was unusual. “Did something wake you?”

Noctis hesitated, but the answer came a moment later when his phone buzzed. “Yeah. That's Prompto. He's probably been texting me since you left the room.” It buzzed again. “He won't shut up.”

“Something important?” For some reason, Ignis couldn't come up with anything witty to add. He couldn't remember what Prompto had been up to lately. He always seemed to be running around, trying something new. He was supposed to be Crownsguard, but he was away from the palace more often than he was there, seemingly still chasing sunsets with his camera.

“Nah, it's-...” His phone buzzed again. It seemed like there was something he wanted to say, but he kept holding his tongue. There was usually a reason, so Ignis trusted that if it were something important, he would tell him sooner or later. “Anyway,” Noctis said, awkwardly switching focus. “What've you got there?”

Ignis set the coffee on the table at the bedside and sat down next to Noctis and handed him the bag. “The half-eaten one is mine, though you probably would have guessed that.”

“Whoa, look at this.” The astonishment in his voice made Ignis wish he could see the way his face had surely lit up. “You shouldn't have.”

“Oh, it was no trouble at all.”

And that was no joke. All he did was walk down to the kitchen and snatch up someone else's hard work. The true test was about to begin, to see whether Noctis was able to tell the difference between his touch and that of another chef. He told the head chef that he would punish Noctis if he didn't notice, and they had a fun laugh about it, but... He was going to be a little hurt if he really couldn't tell the difference. It was probably unreasonable to think that way.

Ignis heard him open the bag, and he waited, trying not to look impatient.

“Huh... Strawberry.”

“Problem?” Ignis asked.

Noctis gave him a verbal shrug; a noncommittal hum between tight lips. “Nah. It seemed like an unexpected choice, but you've always tried making this one with different ingredients, haven't you? I'm just overthinking it. I haven't taken a bite yet, but there's something about strawberry that makes it seem really different. If you tried giving this to me back then, I probably would've laughed at it.”

“Would you've really?”

Noctis laughed softly and moved closer to lean against Ignis's side. “Maybe? I might've laughed just to see the way you looked.”

“Alright, you. Take a bite already and tell me what you think.”

Without further ado, Noctis took a bite and then took a moment to think about it. The longer that moment went on, the more concerned it made Ignis feel. “Hmm... Dunno. It's kind of... not... very good.”

“You can be blunt, you know. Since when have you pulled punches when it comes to the recipe? What don't you like?”

“Do I have to say...?”

Did he have some kind of problem with saying it? It was almost like he was trying not to hurt his feelings. Noctis's reassurances and criticisms of his cooking always felt genuine, even after the loss of his vision – especially then. It sort of hurt to think that he was trying to soften his reaction in order to protect his feelings. At least, that seemed to be the case.

Noctis's voice faltered. He was quiet a moment, then answered bluntly, “It's awful. Forget laughing. If you presented this to me back then, I would've thought something happened to you. I know a lot has changed, but you've managed really well, so what happened? Was the oven busted? Did the chef put you in a rush?”

“Noct...” Ignis couldn't help but laugh. He put his arms around Noctis and heard him make a surprised sound, but he wasn't too concerned about accidentally making him drop that pastry. “It's alright. You don't have to make excuses for me, seeing as how I'm not the one who made it.”

He could feel Noctis staring at him. “Oh, for the love of...! You tricked me?”

“Not intentionally,”he said. That was only half-true. “Did you know that Dave had a son?”

That must have sounded like an odd, sudden change in topics to Noctis. “Dave? Like, the hunter Dave? That Dave?”

“Indeed. As it turns out, he has a son who's quite a big fan of mine. Name's David. Long story short, he's working as an apprentice under our kitchen's head chef. If he asks you about the pastry, you best be honest with him. I can tell that he's serious. He tried that recipe by his own choice and now he may have his heart set on impressing you.”

“Just like you, then?”

Ignis was quiet.

The next second, he found himself with Noctis's arms tightly wrapped around his waist. That pastry must've been abandoned somewhere. “That's cute. It's like you're inspiring the next generation. Sounds like we've got a mini Ignis in the kitchen now. Except... I still prefer original flavor Ignis. You don't have to worry about me pulling punches. If he's hoping to reach your level, I wouldn't mind telling the kid he needs to step up his game.”

“Trust me, I had no fear of you abandoning me for a teenager, even if he happened to cook better than me.”

Noctis placed a kiss to the side of his jaw. “Good. Glad you know how much I love you.”

He'd gotten dangerously smooth with age. Sometimes he was still clumsy and stumbled over himself and his words, but there were times when Noctis was sharp, with wit as quick as an arrow. It must have been a result of all the time they'd spent together. Noctis had learned how to return his wit while being disarmingly romantic at the same time. Every time, it caught Ignis off guard and left him gaping, giving Noctis another opening.

The next kiss was to his lips.

It lingered for a while, one of Noctis's hands against the side of his face, warm.

Slowly, Noctis pulled away with a content breath. “Well, now that I know you weren't the one who made that, it's not as bad as I said. I mean... In comparison, there's just no comparison at all. To me, yours is superior and it might be impossible for him to come up with something I'd say is better, but I admire the effort. The thought of it makes it kind of special in its own way. Too much butter, though. Not flaky enough.”

How amusing. “I said the same.”

Noctis had also gotten better at determining what a recipe needed. Or perhaps he'd just gotten better at figuring out which things he preferred. If something wasn't to his liking, there was always a specific reason.

With a great sigh, Noctis's arms loosened from Ignis's waist and he slipped away. Ignis heard the sound of his head hitting the pillow.

It still surprised him that Noctis was awake. Even if Prompto had been pestering him with messages, Ignis thought it was unusual that Noctis hadn't ignored his phone and gone back to sleep.

Just as he was about to question that, Noctis's phone buzzed again.

Noctis searched the bed for his phone, then made a sound whose meaning was difficult to understand.

“Prompto again? Did something happen?”

Next was a sigh; somewhat frustrated or anxious. “No... It's- He's fine. It's not like it's a secret or anything, so I might as well tell you what's up. I was just kind of hesitant to say anything before it's for sure. As it stands right now, it sounds too good to be true. If it all turned out to be for nothing, then I didn't want to say something unnecessary and get your hopes up,” he said ambiguously. “You know how Prompto's been all over the place lately? He's been getting 'closer' with Cindy, but you know how that goes. He's got his eyes on her, but she's only got eyes for cars. So he's been running errands for her, going place to place, looking for all sorts of odds and ends, and he's been finding some real cool shit in the process.”

“This sounds like something promising. Did he make a big discovery?”

“Maybe. Something like that,” Noctis said. “Any time he gets his hands on Nif machinery, he gets the urge to dig deeper, like digging up their old blueprints will help him figure out something about himself. On that end, he hasn't made any astounding breakthroughs, but... He did find something that might interest you.”

“Such as?”

“It was a page out of their human experimentation project,” he said. He didn't sound thrilled. “They did a lot more than just turn humans into daemons. They were trying to find ways to turn people into literal killing machines.”

He gave a wary pause.

Ignis didn't want to say that he knew where things were going, but he had a feeling. It wasn't that good feeling from earlier, though. It was a feeling of hope, twisted by his cynical heart that had already accepted the belief that he would never experience another miracle.

Noctis was right. If he said something that would give him false hope, he'd be broken all over again. He'd have to piece himself back together, but he wouldn't show it, especially when Noctis was trying to help.

“He found plans for bionics – cybernetic transplants and things like that. I'm not an expert, obviously. Based on what he found, it sounds like they knew how to artificially recreate the human body from head to toe, all with the ambition of lethality. So, say, if you wanted new eyes... There are blueprints for eyes that would help you snipe your enemies from a thousand miles away.” He laughed awkwardly. “Maybe not a _thousand_ , but yeah.”

Even though he was trying to laugh about it a little, trying to make it sound less legitimate, Ignis could tell that Noctis was serious. He wasn't speaking hypothetically. Prompto had stumbled upon something that had the potential to change his life.

The heavy hope growing inside of him made the tender cracks in his heart ache.

“Like I said, I didn't want to say anything,” Noctis said. He touched Ignis's shoulder, then slid the back of his hand down to his wrist and gently slipped his fingers against his palm, holding his hand. “But... Prompto said he found all the components, right down to the shells of a few dozen pairs in mint condition.”

That was fantastic news. It was unreal. Unbelievable. But Ignis couldn't say anything.

That day, he woke up the same as always. The same way he did for ten years, without any light, unable to see Noctis's face. It took a long, long time, but he eventually got used to it. He accepted it. That was just the way that things were going to be. It wasn't unusual anymore.

He thought he was doing well.

He was. He was doing remarkably well for someone in his position.

He was even someone's idol.

Those were incredible things. They were outstanding achievements.

It had never crossed his mind as a serious possibility that he might be able to see again. Faced with the worst, he accepted it as the worst and didn't bother looking back, always fearful of what consequence hopefulness would have. So it was quite strange to suddenly be confronted by the feeling that he would stand to lose more by regaining what he lost, as if those achievements would lose their meaning or be erased if the source of his struggles disappeared.

That had to be irrational thinking, but...

Because of that thinking, he forgot how to speak.

“It's up to you,” Noctis told him.

Ignis forced himself to press past the invisible hindrance. “It's a lot to process. Is he certain that it would be successful? I may be blind, but my eyes are still _my_ eyes. They may not work as they're supposed to, but...” He didn't want to think about it, but the thought of losing even what little he had left was of great concern to him. “As they say, the eyes are the window to the soul. I can't risk them recklessly.”

“He sounds pretty certain. That's why he's been texting me nonstop. Sounds really excited about it. I know it seems reckless to get excited so quickly, but his excitement is kind of infectious.” The hand in Ignis's tightened slightly. Noctis sat up again and leaned against him, putting his forehead to his shoulder. “You've probably got a lot of things to consider, so what I think should matter the least. I just want you to be happy. And – before you say it – I know. I know you're happy as you are now. But if there were something that could lift the weight off your shoulders, then, no matter how small the chance, I would pray for its success.”

There were indeed many things to consider. Ignis had never been the type to rush into a situation without first considering every possible outcome. Even when it came to himself and his feelings, he was always trapped by the need to follow logic. If he were still the same person he was ten years in the past, then he might have decided that the risk was too big to take, but things were different and so was he.

He was sitting there next to Noctis with his hand in his. If he only trusted in logic, then such a future would have never come to be.

Noctis's hand was warm against his palm. In his heart, Ignis wished to entrust himself and the continuation of his future to those hands.

“Can you text him back for me?”

Noctis lifted his head.

“Tell him... I'm excited, too.”


	2. Constellations

In the memories engraved most deeply on Ignis's heart, there was a starry sky and that one night.

They were just kids back then. Noctis was small and filled with frustration; a defiant desire to go beyond his destiny and experience the life he wasn't allow to experience – an average life. After he slipped out once, Ignis began keeping an eye on him and then decided to start following him, rathering to take the blame for him than to see him getting hurt.

No... That wasn't quite true.

Even at that age, it was his job to keep him safe, but that wasn't the only reason why he followed him.

He wanted to be with him.

Acting like the responsible older boy he was supposed to be gave him the excuse to stay beside him. Somewhere along the way, he started believing the excuse, that he was only there to watch him, but in those innocent days, his true feelings floated on the surface. Whenever he took the blame for one of Noctis's late night escapades, the adults bought his lies and punished him for encouraging him, but maybe they'd noticed. It was hard to imagine that they hadn't when it felt so obvious.

At night, he started listening for him. His small footsteps sounded different from an adult's.

Here and there, he'd open the door and find Noctis in the hallway waiting for him with a book in his hands. It was always that same book. That astronomy book was Ignis's at one point, but Noctis had absconded with it and then his room became its new home. It was one of Ignis's favorites, but he didn't mind if he kept it. It was too difficult for Noctis to read, and whenever Ignis tried to read some of it to him, he usually fell asleep, but looking at the pictures put a big smile on his face.

But seeing pictures of the stars wasn't enough for Noctis. He wanted to be outside where they were.

Ignis knew that he would never forget the way Noctis looked as he looked up at the sky on those nights. So excited, Noctis had to drop the book to lift his hands to the stars in the sky, reaching out as if he could somehow grasp them. Seeing him filled with such enthusiasm made Ignis want to believe in the impossible, feeling like if Noctis tried hard enough, he really might be able to catch a star in his hand.

Getting older made him cynical. Noctis had one destiny as the son of Lucis, so Ignis tried to distance his feelings, understanding that having hope would grant him nothing but pain, but he was never able to crush those feelings. He always secretly held on to the hope that Noctis would be able to go beyond the margins of the story that destiny had written for him. And if he couldn't, then he wanted to close that book and grasp a star for him.

It must have worked out in the end. He gave up all the stars he could see, and Noctis was still there.

 

At the very back of his heart, he wished that he could see the world they changed for himself, but it was fine. He already had the most important thing, so that was all that mattered. If it meant that Noctis could happily live the way that he wanted to live, then he would have gladly given up even more for him.

So it was alright. Even if he never got to see that smile again.

 

A voice asked him if he was satisfied with that.

 

Somewhere in the darkness behind his eyelids, he opened his eyes.

The sky was above him, far away and filled with stars. His body felt tired and heavy, and he couldn't move his arms and legs as if they were tied to the ground. There was just the sky above and a peculiar feeling that began to grow stronger as he counted the stars one by one. They were indeed there. They were still there even when he closed his eyes and opened them again.

There was just a kind of haze around the corner of his awareness that made him question if what he saw was true. It wasn't like he'd forgotten that he couldn't see, so whatever was in front of him had to be a dream no matter how real it looked. Even the clean and crisp night air he breathed in was unquestionably a figment of his imagination.

When Ignis was finally able to sit up, he noticed something sitting in the grass across from him; some kind of small animal. It almost looked like a cat, but its ears were too big and its fur was a color like that of no cat he'd ever seen, a gentle emerald. As that thought passed through his mind, he realized who it was he was looking at.

“You're-”

His voice sounded strange to his ears. The hand he held out in front of himself was a small hand. His legs were short and thin. In that strange dream, it appeared that he was just a child again.

“Carbuncle... Isn't that right?” Ignis asked, approaching carefully. When he was near, he knelt in the grass and held out his hands, welcoming it into his arms. “Nice to finally meet you. Noct told me about you. Thank you for helping him.”

It was quite cuddly, though Ignis immediately had to wonder about what the heck he was holding. It wasn't a cat. It looked more like a fox upon closer inspection, but that wasn't right, either. So what was it? An Astral? King Regis had never explained it to him. All that he could confirm was that it looked exactly like the little wooden figure Noctis kept by the bed.

Carbuncle turned over in his arms and pawed at one of his pockets, trying to draw his attention to something. Ignis let it go and stood back up. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out his phone. It looked like his phone, but, since they were in some kind of dream, then it wasn't _really_ his phone. The notion that everything around him was just an illusion made his head hurt a little and he worried that if he thought about it too much, it might all break down and disappear.

Best not to think about it, then.

The screen of his phone lit up suddenly with a new message.

_“It's nice to meet you too, Ignis.”_

Ignis looked down at the little one. “Is this message from you?”

Carbuncle nodded its little head and yipped. _“This is how Noct and I communicate. This might be a dream you're having, but I can't speak your language. This will have to do.”_

“Right...” Strange. “So this is definitely a dream? I'm asleep right now? I don't remember falling asleep, though. I can't even recall where I was or what I was doing. At least if I'm dreaming, that means I'm not dead. Did something happen to me?”

_“Not really, but this is the first time you've been in a state where I've been able to reach you. When I saw you, I knew I had to come meet you. Noct is here, too!”_

“Noct is?” he asked. Before he received an answer, though, Carbuncle was already running away, probably expecting him to follow. With no other choice, Ignis took chase, finding it more difficult to run with his young legs than expected. “Where are you going? Please, wait!”

He followed it through the dark grass into the dense woods ahead. He kept chase, paying attention to where he was going while trying to keep an eye on Carbuncle at the same time. It was hard, but Carbuncle occasionally stopped to wait for him, then took off running again as if it had an aversion to sitting still. Its small, agile body glided through the spaces between the trees and it hopped into the leaf-covered patches illuminated by the moon.

Ignis didn't know where it was taking him, and, after a while, he felt like he was losing track of time. The farther they went, the harder it was for him to tell how long they'd been there. Unable to see the edge of the trees, he looked back over his shoulder, but the way they'd come was already closed off. If it was just a dream, then he knew that he didn't need to worry. Eventually, they would reach the other side, but he began to fall to a feeling of unease and uncertainty, feeling trapped and alone in a place where the darkness was closing in around him.

_“Ignis!”_

Carbuncle was there when he fell to his knees.

_“We can't stop here. Noct is waiting for us.”_

“Noct is...”

Right. That was what Carbuncle said. Somewhere, Noctis was waiting for them.

_“Come on. You don't have to run anymore. It's not much farther.”_

What came over him? It wasn't like him to get overwhelmed like that. There was something strange about that forest. Even if it were just a dream, something told him that if he stopped his feet and didn't get back up, he'd stay there and never be able to make it out. So he took a deep breath and tried to fill his small body with the strength of his older self. It wasn't that hard to do when he envisioned Noctis's face.

He took his time, walking behind Carbuncle at an even pace. Then, sure enough, he saw a pale light breaking through the trees ahead of them. He wanted to run the rest of the way, but his body still felt heavy, like he was still tied to the place where he first awoke. With each step, it felt like he was dragging his soul away from his body.

When they reached the edge of the forest and he took his first step into the moonlight, something shook him and he suddenly felt lighter.

Ahead of him, sitting on a hill, watching the stars, was an image straight from his memories.

Noctis turned around and smiled.

For a dream, the one in front of him was awfully realistic. Then again, if Carbuncle was there... Then the Noctis in front of him, although young, was probably the one real and true Noctis. The smile he gave him wasn't just a figment from his memories. It breathed with life and shined with a new light. That Noctis was his Noctis – the one he struggled and fought for with everything he had. The one he protected. The one he held on to tightly and refused to let go of.

Noctis got up and went to him. At first, he just stood there and looked him over from head to foot. “Gotta say – you're a lot cuter like this.”

That was the first thing he had to say?

Ignis gave him a soft karate-chop to the forehead to scold him. “I was about to say the exact same thing. You were a lot cuter when you were younger. That precocious attitude doesn't work for an adult.”

“Hey, no fair. We look like this because of Carbuncle. He used our memories to recreate what we look like, but since you don't know what I look like now, he went back and chose memories from the first time he and I met. He could've chosen something a little more current, but whatever. Beggars can't be choosers and all that.”

Carbuncle yipped. Ignis took out his phone to find out what he had to say.

_“I did my best. Ignis and I safely made it out of the woods.”_

“That's right. I think I should thank Carbuncle,” Ignis said. Looking down at Carbuncle, he gave him a respectful nod to show his appreciation. “If he hadn't been there, I don't know what would have happened. Is there a reason why you couldn't come help us, Noct?”

Noctis's brows furrowed with a troubled look. “Yeah. I couldn't even step foot inside there. I tried, but it was like there was a wall that prevented me from going in. That place was for you to traverse. I knew it would be hard, so that's why I brought Carbuncle.” He smiled again, softly. “Now I'm just here to see you until you wake up.”

“Noct...”

Why did it still feel like there was something he was forgetting?

“I hope you'll still think I'm cute.”

Ah...

Somewhere, his body was laying unconscious in a hospital. Carbuncle must have been guiding him through the worst of it. It was hard, but being there with Noctis was a lot better than seeing a troubled dream. He was glad that there was a way for them to be together even in their sleep. If only he had a way of meeting Carbuncle sooner, he could have always seen Noctis.

Something about that thought didn't feel as satisfying as it sounded, though. He and Noctis appeared the way they did in their memories without a single change. It was too bittersweet if he was only able to open his eyes in a dream, only able to see the past.

“You don't have to worry,” Ignis said. Taking a step forward, he put his arms around Noctis's delicate shoulders. “I married a good man. Time can't change that.”

Noctis ducked his head against Ignis's chest and grumbled. “S-stop it...”

“It doesn't matter what you look like now, see? You're still cute.”

“I regret saying anything,” Noctis teased. He picked up his head and grabbed Ignis by the hand and started to walk, leading him toward that hill he'd been sitting on when he and Carbuncle arrived.

The dew in the grass tickled Ignis's legs as they walked. It had been a long time since he wore shorts. They looked fine on him when he was little, but it wasn't a look that suited him anymore. Even though he couldn't imagine wearing them by choice, it felt nostalgic in a pleasant way. Looking at the hand guiding him, he felt his heart throb with another nostalgic emotion. 

He still loved Noctis as much as he did back then. Maybe more. If it were possible, his love only seemed to grow. He remembered the way he felt when he looked at Noctis on those starry nights, but that feeling struck him more profoundly when he thought about how far they'd come. Noctis wasn't an aspiration anymore. A happy future wasn't just a dream.

They were together.

At the top of that hill, Noctis sat in the grass and pulled him down with him. If only he had that astronomy book, things would have been just like they used to be. One little detail such as that was easily forgiven.

“There's nothing I regret,” Ignis said, hearing his young voice dampened with tearful feeling. “There's no point in looking back and wondering what the present would be like if I'd done something differently. Without my sight, there have been many things that have passed me by, but I wouldn't trade where I am now for anything.” For a moment, he glanced down at the grass and clasped his hands tightly. “But if I were able to see your face in the morning once more, Noct, I...”

Just as his shoulders began to tremble, he felt Noctis's arms around him, warm and comforting.

“I wouldn't even be here without you. I want you to have every good thing in the world, Ignis. For ten years-” He stopped and shook his head. “For as long as you've been with me, I've always been happy. Even in the darkest times, there was light because you were there. So... I want that for you. I want to make you as happy as you've made me.”

When Noctis pulled away, he looked startled to see the tears on Ignis's face. He hastily tried to wipe them away for him until Ignis stopped him, touching his wrist.

“If I could, I'd marry you again.”

Noctis stared at him with a mysteriously thoughtful look. It was soon replaced by a wide grin. “Oh yeah?”

“I suppose I regret not having been able to see that day for myself, but I remember every second of it. Everything I felt is still fresh.” Ignis took in a deep breath and reflected on those overflowing feelings of affection. “That thing people say about there being no such thing as a happy ending... It's garbage, isn't it? I have the feeling that when I wake up, I'll have everything. It's actually quite frightening. The more you have, the more there is to lose.”

“I'll protect it!” Noctis said, clenching a fist in the air with determination, looking and sounding like a kid.

“You think it'll be as easy as saying that?” Ignis asked, amused.

Hearing some rustling in the grass, Ignis turned his head and found Carbuncle running up the hill to join them. It wedged itself between them and snuggled against Noctis's bended knees before sitting up straight with its ears perked up.

_“It's almost time for you to leave. We made it through, so you can't stay here much longer. This time, I'll cast a spell to keep away misfortune.”_

Noctis leaned closer to Carbuncle and narrowed his eyes skeptically. “You can do that?”

Carbuncle was quiet for a conspicuous second or five.

_“It's the thought that counts.”_

“Don't exaggerate your powers!” Noctis admonished, pinching one of its ears.

When he let go, Carbuncle got to work. A strange and beautiful light surrounded its body, then it crouched and leapt into the air – flying far into the sky. It must have been because they were in a dream that it was able to do such a thing without wings. It kept going, higher and higher until it was nearly impossible to see it. By the time it reached the stars, its form could no longer be seen, its glow becoming one with the stars.

As it returned, it descended from the sky like a shooting star, leaving a trail of stardust in the air in its wake.

It floated down gently and landed gracefully on its feet. There was something held in its mouth that glimmered with a magnificent shine.

_“One wish come true, free of charge.”_

“For me?” Ignis asked. He glanced in Noctis's direction.

Noctis stiffened and his cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink. “Hey, don't look at me. This is for you, so you should take it. Be a little selfish for a change. You deserve it.”

A little selfish...

Maybe he was right. He was always focused on Noctis. Ignis didn't think there was anything wrong with that because that was his job, but it wasn't really his job anymore. He and Noctis had become equals before he even realized it. Position didn't matter to him anymore. Gradually, the words 'highness' and 'your majesty' were traded for Noctis's familiar nickname. The day he made his vow to him was the day he took Noctis away from the world.

Noctis was the last king of Lucis and he belonged to him.

“Thank you,” he said, holding out his hands. “I might just hold on to it. For now, I think I already have everything I could ask for.”

Carbuncle placed the light into his hands; a glimmering star piece. When Ignis closed his hands around it, it erupted in ruby-colored light and vanished, disappearing for the time until it was needed.

_“I guess this is goodbye for now.”_

He knew that it was time to go, but hearing Carbuncle say goodbye made Ignis's eyes widen. His breath halted at the back of his throat and his chest felt tight when the anticipation of what was to come suddenly caught up with him. When he left that dream, he was going to find out if an untouchable happy ending was possible. It was both exciting and frightening. He had that precious star piece to grant him a free wish, but he didn't think it was the right time to use it, no matter how worried he was. If it was successful – if he was able to see again – he wanted Noctis and Prompto to have all the credit. If there was an ounce of shame left in him that hadn't been erased by the darkness, then he wanted to release it and shamelessly rely on someone else.

Slowly, beginning at the horizon where the moon touched the water in the distance, the land around them began to fade away.

Ignis knew that it wasn't a permanent goodbye, but he couldn't stop the irrational fear that made him want to stay. When he woke up, no matter what happened, he was going to awaken to a new life. Things would be very different, and he didn't know whether he was prepared for that.

Noctis was still there, though... So did it matter if he were prepared?

Just like always, the fear wasn't his alone. It was his to share. The moment Noctis put his arms back around him, Ignis felt it evaporating.

As he returned his embrace, trying not to pay attention to the darkness consuming the space around them, Noctis leaned in quickly and kissed him on the lips.

“There,” he said, grinning. “I had to. Back when we were little, when we'd go out stargazing, there were times when I'd glance at you while you weren't paying attention. I'd see you looking at the sky with that earnest look on your face and it made me really want to kiss you. I never had the courage.”

Ignis felt a bit silly kissing him in that state, but the moment called for it. He returned his kiss gently and looked into his eyes. “I did the same. For me, even if you were standing there next to me, you were too far out of my reach, but now... Here we are.”

Noctis's smile softened with a fond look in his eyes. “I love you, Ignis.”

“I love you, too.”

Carbuncle sprung up once more and disappeared in a flash of blinding light.

As Ignis squinted and shielded his eyes against the harsh light, he felt himself being taken away, back to himself.


	3. Smile

“Slowly, now...”

_Slowly?_

“It's going to feel rather sore for some time. No sudden movements.”

The voice that was speaking wasn't a voice Ignis was immediately familiar with. He had to think... But his brain felt slow and groggy, all of his thoughts getting tangled up together in a knot. When he tried to think, he felt a pain behind his eyes. It was a little more than the average headache. Somehow, he hadn't been aware of it in his sleep.

It was no use. Thinking was too difficult. It was troubling to think that something as simple as forming a coherent thought was an issue in his current state, but even that concern left his head quickly, unable to be focused upon.

“Hey, are you awake?”

Now, there was a voice he recognized.

How long had he been asleep? It felt like he'd just seen Noctis a second ago. That strange little Carbuncle was there, too. At the top of a grassy hill overlooked by the moon, he and Noctis had embraced... and then shared a kiss... and then everything just vanished. Compared to everything else, it was easy and relatively painless to recall what happened within that dream. It seemed somewhat absurd to his awakening mind, but it was definitely a thing that happened, even if it had happened in the realm of dreams.

So the one next to him had to be...

“Noct...?”

He tried to open his eyes and only succeeded in cracking open his right eye. The left remained stubbornly shut and he fought to make sense of what was in front of him through the blurriness from the tears of strain clouding his vision. He weakly lifted a hand from the sheets but thought better of rubbing his eyes. That wouldn't have been smart. At least his sense was returning.

“I'm awake...” he mumbled.

Then it hit him – the realization that he was even able to perceive something as 'blurry'. It was the smallest thing, but it was _something_. That was more than anything he'd seen in ten years, even if it were just a fuzzy, half-formed glimpse of the hospital room ceiling.

“Take it easy,” Noctis said. Ignis felt his palm on his shoulder. “No need to rush. Don't want you to hurt yourself. If you wanna know what's going on, I can just tell you like always. You were out for the better half of the afternoon. Right now, the doctor's on your right. I'm on your left, but I'm sure you could tell that already. What you probably didn't know is that Prompto and Gladio are here, too.”

“Hey,” said a somewhat timid voice that certainly sounded like it belonged to Prompto.

“How're you feelin', man?” Gladio asked.

Ignis just smirked and kept his eyes closed. “Who let them in here?”

“Who do you think?” Noctis asked, laughing at that silly question. “These men are my guards. Yours too. Their presence here makes this room fortified. Or... something like that.”

Ignis was glad that Noctis had brought them along, though it probably wasn't his own idea. He recalled how concerned they had both been before he went in for the surgery – Prompto especially, seeing as how it was his discovery that made it possible to begin with. If Noctis hadn't let them come in with him, they probably would have busted down the door to come check on him.

He wanted to see what they looked like, with his own eyes.

And... Noctis, too.

Anxious, Ignis pushed himself up until he was sitting and a rush of pain burst behind his eyes. Moving indeed put strain on them. It was going to be difficult to get around or do anything for a while if any slight movement made them ache, but if it all worked out and he was able to see again – even just a little – then whatever pain he felt would be worth it. “I'm feeling sort of impatient. I know I shouldn't rush, but I really want to see what you all look like. It's been so long. It's not like I've forgotten your faces, but I'm sure you've changed. I want to see who I should be thanking.”

“Here.” Noctis grabbed his hand, giving it a tight and reassuring squeeze. “Go for it. If it hurts really bad, then stop immediately, alright? Seriously. After all that work, I don't want it to go to waste.”

The doctor spoke up to correct him. “The only thing he has to fear is pain. The eyes were attached successfully, so there's nothing you could do that would make them detach without trying to force it. Heaven forbid...”

Next, Gladio stepped in to stop them for a second. “Hold on. Before you open your eyes, why don't you tell us what you think we look like? This is sorta like your last shot at being blind.”

“It must be easy to say something like that when they aren't your eyes,” Ignis groaned. He understood that Gladio had no ill intentions, but he still came off sounding so inconsiderate sometimes. Ten years hadn't taught him how to think before he spoke, that was for sure. “But if you really must know, I don't expect to see much of a difference. You all have facial hair, don't you? I'm the only one among us who bothers to shave – and I couldn't even _see_. A lazy bunch, the lot of you...”

“Is that all? Really?” Prompto asked, sounding disappointed, like he expected Ignis to use more imagination with his answer.

It was exactly like he said, though. He had a specific image of them in his mind. Like a snapshot saved in his memories, he remembered what they looked like when they were ten years younger. More than time changing their features, making them appear older, maybe wiser, maybe a bit rougher around the edges, there was a stronger chance that his own memory would have warped their appearances. Although it still seemed clear to him, that snapshot he saved at the back of his mind might have become tarnished and faded over time, replaced by false details.

Sometimes, it really distressed him when he wondered about the small things. Like, did Noctis have any scars? Birthmarks? Was there ever a point where he felt familiar with things like that... and then he forgot?

The fact that he couldn't even tell if there were things that he'd forgotten about the way they looked was the most troubling thing about his memory.

He didn't want to tell them that – not in so many words.

What they wanted was to see themselves through his eyes, but they didn't understand what that really meant. It wasn't as simple as comparing their younger appearances to the way they looked ten years later. When he opened his eyes, he was afraid that he would see three people who didn't remotely resemble the image in his head.

That feeling was too distressing to put into words. They probably thought it would be fun and exciting for him. He was probably going to be able to see again, after all. So everything should be fine as far as they were concerned. They never had to think about the things that he had to think about.

He wanted Noctis to look like the Noctis he thought he remembered.

“Cold feet?” Gladio asked. “You're going to have to open your eyes eventually.”

He had no idea what that meant. Even if Gladio realized the weight of those words, there was no way he could understand what it felt like, having to confront reality after being literally blinded to it for years.

It made him feel irritated to be told something like that, but... Maybe he was just being his usual self, taking things too seriously. He'd already climbed over the tallest hurdles. He was on the home stretch with the goal straight ahead. The only thing he really had to worry about was getting himself tangled up by his own feet.

It was a big deal, but he could face it. Life was too short to get held back by worries and hesitation. There was never a time for what-ifs, especially when the thing he faced was now an inevitability.

“Thanks. Sometimes you really do know the thing to say, Gladio.”

Gladio gave one smug chuckle. “Hey now. Of course I do.”

“Alright, then. One more try... Here we go,” Ignis said, trying to get himself worked up for it. Knowing the kind of awful pain that he was going to put himself in as soon as he opened his eyes didn't encourage him to do it, but he focused on the hand he was holding, on the one who was sitting at his side. He heard Noctis softly encourage him again and his heart raced, bursting with affection and anticipation.

He kept his head down, just trying to get one eye open a sliver to begin with. It would have been embarrassing if he only got a blurry glimpse of Noctis's face. He didn't want his first impression of him after ten years to be out of focus.

Only the right eye was willing to let him give it a try. He hadn't been able to see how the scarring on the left side of his face had progressed, but he knew that it was there. More often than he liked, it was something he couldn't avoid thinking about. Even if he couldn't see it for himself, that huge scar made him feel self-conscious at times even though he knew that it was the least of his problems. He tried not to talk about it, but whenever he did, Noctis always assured him that it did nothing to ruin his looks. In fact, he said that it was like an enhancement – a 'cool badge of his bravery' or something like that. Ignis would’ve been offended if he didn't know how totally serious Noctis was being. When Noctis said it and his voice dipped low and he touched the side of his face tenderly with his fingertips, it was hard to doubt him, regardless of his own feelings about it.

Still, that scar was stubborn. Despite the damage he'd taken, he still had his left eye and he could even open it, but the scar made the eyelid feel heavy, so he usually let it stay closed. Finding it hard to open it might have posed a new problem if he was able to see again, but seeing out of one eye was better than not being able to see at all, he figured. Had to be grateful for even the smallest things.

Ignis lifted a hand to his face and carefully used the back of his hand to wipe away the tears that collected around his eyes. They made it feel about as bad as pouring salt into a wound. Once he'd dried the last of them from his lashes, he tried again more earnestly and had an easier time, and realized, with no small amount of surprise, that what he saw wasn't blurry at all. Out of his right eye, he could see his hand holding Noctis's... Right there. It was something stupidly mundane, but he already felt overwhelmed.

There was light, and though it made his head pound, his eyes didn't feel sensitive to it. He could see their hands and the bedsheets covering him and some of the hospital room in his peripheral. It must have been evening; there was a warm, orange glow from the window that reached the bed and dark shadows in the folds of the sheets.

When the light made him wince, Noctis touched his shoulder with his free hand in concern. Noctis didn't know that he was just trying to hold back tears. If he didn't, he wasn't going to be able to keep his eyes open, and he wanted to see him.

Finally, after so long...

He took in a slow breath. It came out shaky, but he felt better for it.

Rather than close his eye, he kept it open, heart pounding in his throat, and slowly raised his chin to look at the one beside him.

Words... utterly failed him.

He didn't know what he was expecting. Anything he'd visualized in his mind just seemed to disappear. The bittersweet, heart-clenching expression on Noctis's face was more than Ignis could have ever imagined. It was more than he could've felt with his hands. There were certain feelings that could only be seen.

Noctis looked speechless. Relieved. Grateful. So many things...

Just by looking at him, Ignis was able to tell what it meant. At that moment, when he looked him in the eye, Noctis knew that he could see him.

Whatever worries he had were dusted off and blown away. Ignis knew that he made the right decision by trusting in them. He already knew that nothing else was going to ever be able to compare to that unspeakable feeling. He was grateful. To those friends who always stood beside him, he would be forever grateful.

He laughed, but he had to look away and rub gently at his eyes again as tears made them sting, then he tried to talk through a few tear-dampened laughs. “Remember what you told me? You said you hoped I'd still think you're cute. Well, you aren't. You aren't cute at all. You'll have to forgive me... I'm honestly a little shocked by how handsome you are.”

“Seriously? Ugh, you had me going for a minute there,” Noctis said. He let go of his hand for a second just to smack him on the arm, then grabbed his hand back up and held it tightly. “I don't think I've changed _that_ much...”

Once his eyes were dry again, Ignis looked back up. “Perhaps not, but the difference is noticeable to me. I don't know what made me so worried. You really do look how I remembered... Your smile is still the same.”

Crossing his arms, Gladio shook his head with a grin. “That's some real romantic stuff right there. I don't know how you can handle this guy, Noct. Time didn't change his looks, but it sure made him sappier.”

“And you...” Ignis turned to Gladio with a new discerning eye. “Not as bad as I expected.”

“Hey.”

He looked at Prompto who looked like he was afraid of receiving similar judgment. Ten years was a long time. The last time he saw Prompto, he had a youthful sort of look about him; not a kid, but not quite an adult yet. Yet, after that much time, he also didn't seem to have aged. The only thing different was the little bit of hair on his chin. Ignis found it kind of distracting. “Prompto, I hope you don't mind if I say this, but I'm sure I would have said it sooner if I'd been able to see... That's not a good look on you. I feel annoyed just looking at it. I don't care how long it took you to grow it. It's...” To keep himself from sounding too harsh, he ended that thought by making a face instead.

Dejectedly, Prompto hung his head and sighed. “Yeah... You're not wrong. I got the feeling that Cindy was avoiding looking at me and I started wondering if the 'tee had something to do with it. It's a bummer, but if it's not a good look, it's not a good look. I just like trying new things.”

Prompto might not have aged physically, but he'd matured a lot.

After a moment of staring at Prompto as he fidgeted around, Ignis noticed that he was clutching a book of some sort in his hands. When Prompto noticed his interest, he let out a loud 'Oh!' like he'd remembered something.

“I brought this for you!” he said excitedly, moving quickly to Ignis's right side. He placed the thing in question in his lap. “It's a photo album. As soon as Noct told me that you agreed to the surgery I started putting together a collection of all the best pictures I took in the last ten years. I tried to include as many of them with you and Noct in them as I could. I thought those would be the most important to you, like, since you were there, but you hadn't been able to see these things for yourself.”

Ignis didn't even have to ask him what would be in that album. Whenever Prompto was with them, he had a camera in his hands and he was snapping shots left and right.

They even fulfilled one of Prompto's dreams by letting him be their wedding photographer.

There were bound to be thousands of pictures out there from that day... The thought of that had passed through Ignis's mind along with a slight feeling of spite in the past. There were people – strangers – who had been able to witness that day. He was there, center stage, stating his vows, kissing Noctis... But he hadn't seen any of it. He only knew the suit Noctis wore by the feeling of the fabric.

Like he told Noctis, he'd been satisfied with the memories he made. The memory of their vows and that moment was more indelible than anything he could have seen with his eyes, but finally being able to see it anyway in spite of everything... That was a gift.

“Thank you,” Ignis said. “I want to thank all of you, but I think you deserve your own special thanks, Prompto. Thank you for thinking of me. I do think it's unsafe for you to be out scavenging in dangerous areas by yourself, so I want you to be more careful in the future and take someone with you, but, just this once, I want to thank you for going out of your way. You did that for me and you didn't have to, but my life has been completely changed thanks to you.”

For a second, Prompto stood there with his mouth agape. His brows came together slowly and it almost looked like he was about to tear up before he turned away, rubbing at his nose. “A-aw, it was nothing! I just stumbled upon the parts and realized what they could do, that's all. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Y'know – that kind of thing.”

“If you say so,” Ignis said, understanding that Prompto didn't want to look unmanly by letting his emotions get the better of him. Not that it mattered around them. “Regardless, you have my thanks. If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know. I don't think I can repay you for something this incredible, but I'd like to try.”

Prompto brightened back up. “Oh- Sure! How about you and Noct come scavenging with me sometime?”

Noctis was the king and he had things to attend to, so he hardly had the time to help Prompto with his own side job, but there would probably be a day or two in the near future that they could spare to accompany him. “That sounds fair,” Ignis said in agreement. “It's been a while since I've been outside the city. I'd like to stretch my legs and see the roads again.”

“Aren't you forgetting somebody?” Gladio said, staring at them.

Noctis rolled his eyes. “Isn't it obvious that you're invited just by proximity?”

With a gleeful look, Prompto hooked an arm around one of Gladio's. “Yeah, big guy, you can come too. It'll be like our glory days. Exploring forgotten tunnels... Traversing uncharted lands...” His voice rose with excitement as he reminisced.

“Getting stuck on the side of the road,” Gladio added.

A minor inconvenience when they had someone as helpful as Cindy on their side. “That didn't happen _too_ often,” Ignis said.

“Anyway.” Prompto patted the album in Ignis's lap to draw his attention to it. “I wanna give you and Noct some time alone, but... would it be alright if me 'n' Gladio stayed for a little just to see what you think of my pictures? I put them in order by when they were taken, so I hope you see a difference from start to finish. I, uh, kinda think I've really improved.”

He was trying to be modest. It was pretty endearing.

Ignis took a glance in Noctis's direction to silently ask him how he felt about letting them stay. Although he meant for it to be just a glance, a mere second, when he looked at him, he felt his breath get stuck all over again. If he got choked up like that every time he looked at him, then living with him was going to be something of a problem; a really unbelievably good kind of problem.

Noctis was so...

No, he couldn't think about it just yet. Prompto and Gladio were looking at him expectantly, so he was just going to have to store away his feelings for the moment and take them back out when he had the time to marvel at the man Noctis had become. Later. When they were alone together like Prompto said.

“Yeah, go on. I want to see these, too,” Noctis said.

His eyes looked so gentle and fond...

Ignis had to look away or else that overwhelmingly warm feeling inside of him was going to get him choked up.

He looked down at the photo album in his lap. For a moment, he closed his right eye, the one that was willing to open, and brushed his fingers over the surface of the album, feeling the shape of it the way he would have done before when he would've been unable to see it. Opening his right eye and confirming that it was there for himself was a truly surreal experience. Questioning his reality was one of the things he hated most about living in the dark. There were times when even looks could be deceiving as that man Ardyn had been sure to show them, but there was no feeling of uncertainty worse than never being able to see at all.

The photos in that album were the truth his friends experienced for him. They were his confirmation.

He turned back the cover and looked at the first page of photographs. They were pictures from their trip to reclaim the crystal. He remembered two of the four on that page. They were group photos of the four of them together; one at the Wiz Chocobo Post and one at Cape Caem. The others looked like they must have been taken while he wasn't paying attention. Prompto did enjoy snapping candid shots of them back then.

In one of them, he was looking at Noctis while he was turned away. That expression looked like the definition of 'lovestruck'. It made him wonder if his feelings had been obvious to everyone else around him. For it to be included in the album, it seemed like Prompto must have noticed. Ignis did recall him taking a lot of pictures of him and Noctis together... Or maybe that was just because they were always joined at the hip, even before their relationship became official.

Regardless, he enjoyed the fact that Prompto seemed to find that shot special enough to include. It was a rather telling photo.

As he turned the pages, he felt like he was traveling through time. Every time he recognized a location, he remembered what it was like to be there, to be with them. That had been one of the most stressful times in his life, but it had also been the most fun and rewarding, and he was sure that the others felt the same way.

After a few more page flips, Ignis reached a set of pictures that made him take pause.

“What's- ...Oh. Oh, you haven't-” Prompto stopped and looked at Noctis with a somewhat frantic, cocerned look on his face.

Ignis touched his face in one of the pictures. “So that's what it...”

At his side, the doctor extended a small mirror into his peripheral for him to take. “My apologies. It didn't feel right to interrupt you with your friends, otherwise I would have given this to you sooner.”

“It's alright.” Ignis accepted the mirror from him, but he hesitated to look. Even though there were pictures of him right there in front of his face, it was sort of strange and difficult to believe that that's who he was. Seeing himself with that cane... He looked about as helpless and pitiful as he'd felt back then. Seeing it didn't exactly make him feel better about it, but he figured that Prompto must have included it for a reason. It was a memory, and it wasn't a pleasant memory, but it wasn't like all memories had to be good. It was important to remember the things that were difficult. That was probably the kind of thought Prompto had when he took that picture.

Things had been worse, once...

With that reassuring thought in mind, Ignis turned over the mirror in his hands and looked down at himself.

It wasn't that bad, all things considered. When he was injured, it felt... It felt terrible. It was the worst thing that had ever happened to him, he thought. But, looking at himself, feeling only the ache behind his eyes, he wouldn't have guessed that there was even a time when he felt so much pain because... He was able to smile.

Noctis was right. The scars gave him a kind of roguish charm.

“These eyes are nice,” he said, lifting the mirror up to have a closer look at his right eye. He tried to open the left one again and succeeded in opening it with some effort. He wasn't sure yet if it were his imagination, but they seemed to have a slight iridescent glow to them. They looked natural and were the same color his real eyes had been, so anyone who looked at him would probably have a hard time telling that they weren't the real thing. “I can see so clearly with these. I'm half-tempted to tell you to make them weaker so I have a reason to keep wearing glasses.”

“True,” Noctis said, holding a hand to his chin as he inspected his face. “I can't imagine you without glasses. I mean... Not like I don't see you without them every night, but glasses suit you so well. I've practically accepted them as a part of your face. I'm sure you could keep wearing a pair without prescription lenses if you wanted.”

That was phrased like a suggestion, but there was no question that Noctis preferred him with glasses.

“Don't worry.” Ignis laughed. “They grew on me. Now I can't imagine myself without glasses, either. You can help me look for a new pair.”

It was very gratifying to see the pinkish blush on Noctis's cheeks when he posed the idea of helping him try on glasses. His words were more effective than he thought.

He returned to looking through the album. It was much easier to look at pictures of himself after seeing his face in the mirror. Before he lost his vision, he'd never been particularly self-conscious of his appearance. He was just modest. Noctis's reassurance that he was handsome even with the scars suddenly felt more valid once he was able to see his face and confirm it for himself. Although he thought that some of the early pictures made him look weak, he was able to see the way that Noctis looked at him.

Prompto even managed to capture candid shots of Noctis looking at him after he lost his vision. At that time, Noctis must have felt more comfortable about staring if he knew that he wasn't going to notice his attention.

He must have had so many feelings about it... In a number of them, Noctis didn't look very happy. Ignis remembered how hard that half of their journey had been for him once the weight of reality and his supposed destiny caught up with him after the ruin of Altissia. After Luna died and he lost his vision, Noctis looked as depressed as Ignis remembered him sounding. He'd lashed out at them on occasion, and Ignis remembered the way his voice had cracked with the threat of tears.

In spite of that, however, there were pictures there that told another story – one he hadn't been able to see, one that Noctis kept hidden from him until the end.

If he'd seen the way Noctis looked at him, maybe it wouldn't have been such a surprise when Noctis proposed.

He looked sad in a way that still managed to awaken Ignis's urge to comfort him, but there was also a great amount of love in his eyes. Prompto had done more than photograph their journey. At the end of that long road was their happiness, and Prompto had captured the road there.

“These are impressive,” Ignis said, feeling like he'd have to take the time later to tell him how much he enjoyed them in greater detail.

“Aw, thanks. It's because I had such great subjects to work with,” Prompto said.

“If you think that flattery will get you everywhere... “ Noctis said, making it sound like a warning. “You're right.”

Gladio didn't even try to hide his laugh. “The king is a narcissist. Who knew.”

“Now, now,” Ignis said, getting them to quiet down as he kept going through the album.

Naturally, in all the photos taken after he became blind, he didn't recall when or where they had been taken. The feeling it gave him was so alien, like he was looking at himself through the eyes of another person. It was definitely him, though. There was no doubt about it. It was interesting to see some of the places they'd gone and it sort of made him want to return in spite of the monsters and muck and who-knows-what else. At least there wouldn't be any more daemons.

At last, he reached a page with pictures from when they returned to Insomnia. His fingers shook slightly as he touched the edge of the page, seeing the pain on everyone's face. When they were there, they truly thought that was going to be the end. They understood what kind of sacrifices would probably have to be made in order to vanquish the ever-encroaching veil of night.

But they had been young and they were together. They were strong and _angry._ Their emotions had been right there on the surface, ready to retaliate against anything. And it worked.

There, on the next page, he found a picture taken in the morning with the sun lighting up the clouds with a tender pink. Prompto had captured them from behind, staring at that sky. Ignis remembered that moment. Noctis's hand was on his shoulder... He remembered being able to sense the light of dawn.

After their struggle that lasted the whole night through, they stood there in the wreckage of the city showered in the morning light.

In the next picture, there was Noctis with his arms around him. That moment was a blur. When Noctis proposed, that was the moment when he felt like it was truly over, that he could finally breathe easily, that everything he'd bled for had been returned to him. It still felt like more than he should have been allowed, but like Noctis told him, he was endeavoring to be more selfish. He received everything he wanted and he held on to it. He was still holding on, cherishing it, loving him.

“Damn, I remember that,” Gladio said, his voice soft with a sense of awe as he looked at that picture. “At the time, I remember... I was ready to tell Noct he was crazy. I knew how you two were – I saw all of it unfolding right in front of me – but I hadn't accepted it until that moment. Then, I knew. You two really loved each other. I saw how you broke down and I knew it was for real.”

Yeah. Ignis cried then. He hadn't been able to help it. It was just so much.

Prompto linked his hands behind his back and looked off to the side. “I was kind of jealous...”

Scoffing, Noctis looked up at him. “I can't believe you thought anything was going to come between our friendship. From the beginning, we were supposed to be traveling to my wedding, so what did you think was going to happen?”

“I was worried then, too!” he wailed. “I was devastated about Luna, but then once we were all together again, I felt relieved that you weren't going to be married anymore, but then you proposed to Ignis...!”

“Oh dear. We put you through a real crisis, didn't we?” Ignis mused. “Well, as you can see, nothing changed. I take it you got over it?”

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and went back to looking away. “Yeah. I mean, like Gladio said, when I saw how in love you two were, I couldn't say anything. I didn't want my irrational hang-ups harshing your happiness.”

Knowing how untrue that was made Ignis feel like sighing. It would've been fine – and it _was_ fine. It should have gone without saying that they could talk to each other and tell each other anything without worrying about something breaking up their friendship. Their trip had already tested its endurance in the harshest of ways and they pulled through. Thinking about their troubles in retrospect had a cathartic sort of effect, at least. After seeing how much they were able to surmount, Ignis felt like he would be invincible as long as he stayed with them.

Looking embarrassed to have admitted an old secret, Prompto waved his hands at him to urge him to keep looking through the album. He was in luck because Ignis was dying to see what was next. It was all new to his eyes.

There were all sorts of pictures from around Insomnia, cataloging the city's reconstruction. Prompto even went back to the high school that he and Noctis attended together and took pictures of it from the outside. After the attack, it was still standing, but the building, like many other parts of the city, looked like it had seen better days. The first picture of it looked like it had been taken during the morning hours, but it was a strangely lonely-looking picture. It was just the school. No people. It projected a sense of silence and abandonment.

Life returned with each picture; kids going to school, Prompto taking a selfie with one of his old teachers, a shot of the track team running outside...

Then his eyes fell upon one particularly splendid picture; Noctis in his kingly raiment with the whole graduating class. Considering the fine shape the school was in, it must have been taken at least a couple years after the reconstruction began. Ignis expected to still see more shots from before then, but those shots deserved to go together. It showed just how far the city had come because of Noctis... And it showed what kind of king he was; young, relatable, warm... He almost looked like part of the class.

So many years later and Noctis still hadn't fully gotten the hang of things, but that was fine. If he'd acquired the demeanor of a politician, then Noctis wouldn't have been himself anymore. To even Ignis's surprise, people liked Noctis as he was. Maybe it was because they had so much to be thankful to him for. Or maybe he just made them feel comfortable. It could've been a little bit of both.

After that, there were pictures of the palace. The inside of the palace looked to be in fine condition, so it was hard to say when the pictures were taken, especially when there were no dates on them. He walked down those halls every day without seeing them, but somehow they still looked incredibly familiar. It gave him that strange déjà vu feeling again.

The pictures became increasingly domestic after that. There were shots of him and Noctis around the palace. In most of them, he still had his cane, but it eventually disappeared. Ignis had a feeling he knew what was going to be coming up on the next page, but he took a breath and braced himself for it. He didn't know if it would be better to call up his memories or to let go of expectations entirely.

To keep himself from thinking about it too deeply, he turned the page.

“Wow... Would you look at that.”

“Real beautiful, yeah,” Gladio agreed.

It was overwhelming but in the most fantastic way. His eyes wanted to look at everything at once. Every picture in front of him seemed to have something worthy of his attention. No matter what kind of expectations he'd had before, the reality of it – seeing it for himself – only made his memories feel validated. It was as beautiful as he thought. In his heart that day, as he stood in front of thousands of people, holding the hand of his best friend, Ignis knew that it was the most beautiful day to ever happen in his world.

He couldn't get over the crowd. For the wedding, they kept everything in Insomnia, and the ceremony was held within the palace premises at the memorial garden. They knew that there would be media, and they knew how many people would want to watch, so that was why it was held outside. The garden was filled with rows and rows of people, but then even beyond the garden, there seemed to be even more people. It was endless. Ignis didn't think he became nervous easily, but he felt a little glad that he hadn't been able to see that crowd. It was no wonder Noctis had acted so terrified beforehand.

It looked every bit of a royal wedding, yet there was also a refreshingly intimate atmosphere in the photographs. Ignis remembered how easy it had been for them to decide the arrangements. They didn't have to worry about where they were going to get married or who would be able to attend or how it was going to be seen or anything... It was all at home.

Prompto's camera had captured a dream. It looked like everything Ignis imagined.

As was tradition, they wore all black for Insomnia. Ignis remembered, as they were preparing that morning, Noctis told him that he wished his father could be there to see. The loss of him weighed heavily on Ignis as well, but he believed that he would be watching. As he stood there in that black suit, he prayed that the late king was listening as he promised to love and serve his son for the rest of his life.

After that, there were still many, many more photos for him to look at. It was a thick album and that was only just the beginning.

“Thank you,” he said, knowing that he must've sounded like a broken record. “I'm sure there were countless pictures taken of our wedding day, but I could only trust your eye to capture it the way we would have seen it, Prompto.”

Again, Prompto looked flustered and pleased to receive a compliment.

At his side, Noctis was looking a little anxious. “So it looks like what you imagined?”

“Of course.” Ignis closed the album and closed his eyes, smiling to himself. “Nothing was going to change my feelings about my memories. I remember that day a certain way, so, no matter how many pictures I see, the only truth is the one I personally experienced. It was a beautiful day, and that's all I needed. These pictures are just a reminder of what I already knew.”

Noctis looked relieved. He must have been worried that he would start to think differently about things if he were able to see.

Prompto looked between the two of them, then looked up at Gladio. “Hey, let's leave these two lovebirds alone for now. I don't want to stand around here all evening breathing down their necks as they look at each picture. Ignis should have the chance to take it all in at his own pace. So whaddya say we go get a bite?”

Stroking the rough hair on his jaw, Gladio nodded. “I ain't gonna say no to food.” He started heading for the door and waved at him and Noctis on his way out. “Catch you guys later.”

Returning to the side of the bed, Prompto hesitated, then settled on giving Ignis a pat on the back. “See you. And congratulations.”

“Thank you, Prompto. Be seeing you.”

With that, Prompto parted from them with a huge grin and ran off after Gladio. The doctor also excused himself for the moment, and the door closed.

There was silence for a moment after that. Ignis stared at the door where they left, and, as the seconds accumulated, he found it harder to turn his head and look at Noctis. He wasn't hard to look at. It was really quite the opposite and he was still shocked.

“So,” Noctis said, speaking a bit forcefully as if trying to push through the silence. “Did you mean what you said?”

When Ignis finally turned and looked at him, his heart went straight to his throat. Age was drawing Noctis closer to resembling his father – not a bad thing. Even when he was young, he thought the late king was a handsome-looking man. He always imagined that Noctis would grow up to look like him. Knowing that his teenage daydreams had become a reality made his heartbeat quicken.

“I wasn't exaggerating. You might be the most handsome man I've ever seen.”

“Not that,” Noctis said, though the compliment made him turn red again.

Ignis looked at him in surprise. “Sorry, am I forgetting something?”

There was a pensive look on Noctis's face. Ignis thought that he'd been the one who was avoiding eye contact, but Noctis was also acting strangely tight-lipped. He crossed his arms over his chest and sunk back in the chair he was sitting in. “I'm talking about that dream we had together. I didn't want to bring it up with the others here. It would've turned into a whole _thing_ , and I just wanted to talk to you about it, and...”

“Dream...” He remembered. “Right. Of course I remember. When it comes to you and Carbuncle, there's no point in me questioning whether it was something that really happened.”

“So then... Do you remember what you said?”

Ignis was still at a loss. “Might I ask which part?”

Noctis may have been thirty, but he was still capable of an impressive blush. “Oh, jeez, fine!” he said, sounding frustrated. Whatever it was, it must have been too embarrassing for him to say. There was no other reason for him to beat around the bush. “You said you'd marry me again if you could.”

“I... do vaguely recall getting carried away and saying something like that.”

“Would you?”

“Would I what?” he asked.

“Marry me again,” Noctis said. He sat up straight in his chair and focused his eyes on him intently. “Would you-... Will you marry me again?”

He sounded serious. He looked serious. And yet Ignis couldn't help but ask, “Are you really asking?”

“Are you saying it's a given?” Noctis said, cracking a smile.

It wasn't a half-bad idea. He may have said it while he was caught up in the moment, but that didn't mean what he said hadn't been serious, too. “We've been together for at least ten years, married for nine... Why not? I'd say that now would be a better time than any for us to renew our vows.”

Pushing himself up, Noctis got out of his chair and climbed onto the bed with him, wearing his full raiment with the black mantle and all. Finally being able to see him added something to the moment, Ignis thought. Noctis really looked as though he were born to wear those clothes, yet, despite looking every bit like the king he was meant to be, he was still his tender, loving self. It was something Ignis always felt, but being able to see it stole his breath and blew him away.

As Noctis put his arms around him, as he buried his face in Ignis's shoulder, Ignis also wrapped his arms around him and held him tightly. That moment would be one he'd cherish dearly for the rest of his life. To have seen his friends waiting for him, and to have seen Noctis's smile again... It was a once in a lifetime blessing.

Ignis pulled away only to have another look at him, cradling his face.

“Hm? What are you looking at?” Noctis asked teasingly.

There wasn't much to say but the truth.

“It's good to see you again.”


	4. Sincerity

It was the big day, once again.

It was blessedly low-stress compared to the first time. Because it was just a renewal, and because he and Noctis agreed that a smaller proceeding would feel more intimate, they held a ceremony among their friends in the palace throne room. They waited a few weeks for it until Ignis's eyes were fully healed, then they invited everyone they were close to.

They couldn't decide who should officiate, so they posed the prized position to both Prompto and Gladio. The choice ended up being easier than expected. Since Prompto wanted to take more commemorative pictures, Gladio was the one who accepted the honors.

This time, Ignis was glad that he was able to greet their guests and see how they'd changed. Like he'd promised Noctis, he let him help him pick out a new pair of glasses. The ones they chose were similar to the ones he used to wear. Even if the world was clear without them, they made him feel more like his old self.

It was nice being able to see their guests with crystal clarity and confidence.

There to celebrate with them was Iris, who came along with Talcott and the others from Cape Caem. Cindy also came, showing up early. None of them expected to see Cid, but he arrived looking as lively as ever and accused them of assuming he was too old to make it.

Even a few of the friends they'd made along their old trip responded to the invitations and showed up at the palace. It was surprising how many people came for them, but they all seemed to share the same feeling; they couldn't pass up the opportunity to be there for such an occasion, to witness royal history. Many of them had tried to attend the first time and simply weren't able to make it past the flood of people to even say hello.

Coctura came with Dino. The two of them... seemed to be in a relationship. Kind of an odd couple, but they looked happy, so Ignis kept his lips sealed and didn't say anything unnecessary. The look Noctis shared with him after they finished talking with them told him he was thinking the same thing.

Navyth came, wearing a suit to their surprise. Ignis almost didn't recognize him without all his fishing gear, but he would've recognized that gentlemanly voice anywhere. He gave Noctis a special new lure shaped like a gold Chocobo, and Ignis could just tell that Noctis was going to be thinking about what he was going to do with it the whole time. He looked so excited, Ignis wouldn't have been surprised if he asked him to go fishing immediately after the ceremony.

In a way, Ignis was glad that Prompto was taking pictures. The ceremony came and went so quickly. Ignis was fully invested in the moment, capturing as much as he could, committing it to memory, but he already knew that there was only so much he could see. The feelings of that day would last for far longer than anything he saw... But still, he was grateful. Because he could see, those feelings became even stronger.

He saw Noctis as he approached him in his black suit, the morning light of the throne room wrapped around him, glowing radiantly. He finally shaved for once, and he looked so young. Looking at him, it felt like hardly any time had passed. Ignis could see how much he'd grown by the quiet maturity in his eyes, but that smile was the same.

Ignis was glad his eyes were healed. By the time Noctis touched his hand, he was already holding back tears.

There were things about that moment he would never forget, just like the first time, but seeing meant that he would always be surrounded by what he loved, always reminded.

Seeing wasn't enough, though. Perhaps even feeling wasn't enough. It felt unlike him to think so, far removed from the logic-based reason he used to rely on when he was younger, but the fact that he'd come so far based on his heart was proof enough that the path he'd chosen wasn't wrong.

If he were allowed to make a wish, then... Ignis knew what he would wish for.

 

“P-Prince Ignis...!”

Ignis turned at the sound of his name. He and Noctis were already in the middle of a conversation with Coctura and it sounded like he was close to hearing a new recipe, so he was a little annoyed that someone would interrupt, but when he turned around and saw who it was, any brief irritation he felt disappeared.

“I'm... sorry I... couldn't make it sooner,” David said, huffing, out of breath. He was still in his black apron, covered in flour. It looked like he must have run all the way there, hoping to catch them before everything was over. The ceremony may have been finished, but almost everyone was still present.

It wasn't Ignis's first time seeing him after regaining his sight, but it was the first time Noctis would be meeting him. He was extremely curious to see what kind of meeting it would be. David was holding something in his hands; the tray wobbled unsteadily in his exhausted grasp, its contents tipping slightly. Ignis reached out and put a hand on his shoulder to keep him steady.

“I hate to presume, but are these for us?” he asked.

David nodded emphatically and thrust the tray toward him. “Yes! I mean-” His face turned a bright shade of red and he tried to lower his voice. “Yes. These are for you and His Highness Noctis. I, um... Because today is a special day, I tried to improve my version of the recipe.” He looked up and took a glance at Coctura. “I think there's enough here for everyone.”

He was right. There weren't that many people. They already had some cake and refreshments, but surely no one would object to more dessert. Unless... Well, Ignis just hoped that David had been able to improve on his recipe like he claimed. That first attempt that he tried hadn't been bad at all, so he doubted that their guests would find any complaints with it – David was, after all, aiming to become permanent palace staff – but Noctis was fickle and his opinion was the one that mattered most. He could only imagine how embarrassed David would be if Noctis still disliked his pastry. Ignis knew from experience... Noctis's rejection was hard to survive. It would test David's mettle as a chef.

Ignis looked at Noctis who looked back at him. Noctis looked somewhat confused at first until realization dawned on his face.

“Oh! You're that kid!”

“Y-yessir?”

“Dave's kid!”

“Y-yessir!”

Noctis clapped his hands and laughed, drawing the curiosity of some others in the room. “Oh man, how have I not run into you yet? I _live here_ and yet...”

There was a simple explanation for that. “He's only here in the morning,” Ignis said, staring at Noctis from the corners of his eyes, giving him a look that said that he would've known if he ever bothered to wake up and move around in the morning.

“That so? Ah...” Noctis trailed off awkwardly, trying to pretend like he hadn't just been served. “Well. You know how it is. The king's always busy. I've got meetings and... things to attend to.”

“Oh, please,” Ignis muttered, trying not to laugh, just loud enough for Noctis to hear. He couldn't come up with a better excuse than that? That was adorable.

David let him off the hook too easily. He just looked happy to be in front of the king, presenting him with his creation. Taking the tray from his anxiously quivering hands, Ignis offered Noctis the first pick. Thankfully, Noctis gave it some thought, eyeing them carefully, trying to determine which one was the most worthy of being eaten. As a chef himself, Ignis knew that David would appreciate seeing Noctis looking so invested in the decision.

The last time Ignis tried one of David's pastries, he had unfortunately only been able to judge it by its flavor and texture. Presentation was an art lost on a blind man. It appeared that David had mastered the delicate dessert's outward appearance. Although he had no point of comparison, Ignis was able to notice something different about it just by looking at it, and he wondered if Noctis would be as quick to notice it.

Again, for David's sake, he hoped that Noctis would like it.

He had no idea why he cared so much, though. It wasn't like he was his _son..._

David didn't really look a lot like Dave, come to think of it. He had a fairly average build similar to Noctis when he was in his teens. His slightly long, sandy brown hair made his face look soft and gave him an approachable feeling, but his thick, rectangular glasses gave him the benefit of a cool and mysterious appearance to strangers.

...Actually, Ignis wouldn't have been surprised if someone mistook him for _their_ son.

“It's different,” Noctis said after the first bite. He looked down at it with an expression that was hard to read. After having spent so much time not even being able to see him, Ignis felt like he was probably the only one who knew what he was thinking. That reaction was neither good nor bad, and that was all. He was just thinking out loud, trying to formulate a reaction. “Wasn't it strawberry last time?”

David's face fell. “Did you prefer the strawberry?”

Without saying anything, Noctis took another bite and laughed softly to himself. That just confused David further, so Ignis decided it was time for him to try one for himself. He let Coctura choose one, then took the tray to the table with the cake. Seeing as how Noctis hadn't immediately spit it out or anything, that meant it was probably totally fine. Noctis wasn't the most discerning, but he was picky, especially when it came to that particular recipe.

But it wasn't 'that' recipe anymore. It was David's.

Ignis took one for himself and joined them. As soon as he took his first bite, he understood Noctis's reaction. It obviously wasn't strawberry. He was kind of surprised that David had decided to change it. He must have taken his reaction from the last time to mean that he should try another filling.

“Orange?” Noctis asked.

By his second bite, Ignis could already feel his cheeks tingling. “I... wouldn't have thought of filling it with a marmalade. It's an interesting choice, but... It's certainly 'you', isn't it?”

Noctis seemed like he was enjoying it a lot, and it looked like David had noticed. His face was brightening exponentially. “I call it the Insomnian Sunlight Tart. I took your word for it and ran with that 'vibe' from the first one. I know that the original version of this recipe was supposed to be a fancy, extravagant pastry, but that's just not me. It's not like I'm incapable of making it that way, but I wanted it to be what I wanted it to be... You know?”

“I think it's fantastic,” Coctura said, holding her cheek with a delighted look on her face after taking a bite. “You've turned it into a summer pastry. This reminds me,” she said, turning toward Ignis. “I meant to tell you about the new item I concocted for the menu down at Galdin Quay, Fresh Blueberry Palmiers.”

“That's it!”

“Iggy...”

He couldn't help it. Old habit.

From the other side of the room, Gladio and Prompto both loudly responded with whistling and cheers of _”Yaaas!”_

David leaned closer to Noctis, staring at him expectantly. “Well, Your Highness? What do you think? How does it compare with Ignis's recipe?”

Noctis didn't even take a second to think. “Ignis's is better.”

The poor kid.

“You thought I would betray Ignis on the day of our vow renewal? What kind of man do you take me for?”

“Then... Do you mean...?” Having hope was a mistake.

“No. Ignis's is still better. Uh... Sorry.” Although he was clearly trying not to hurt David's feelings, being blunt was in Noctis's blood. Trying to soften the blow he'd inflicted, he kept going. “Ignis's is just what I'm used to. How do I put it? It's all flaky and delicate and- Yours was perfectly flaky this time, too, but Ignis's is just... And the ingredients... And...”

He stopped trying. A very confused, contemplative look overtook his face.

Deciding to stop him before he could make himself more confused, Ignis patted Noctis on the back. “Just admit it. There's nothing wrong with David's recipe this time. You just prefer mine.”

Mouth agape, brows narrowed, Noctis looked at him, aghast. “That's...! Look, even if that's true, you can't just say that!”

“Yeah!” David said defensively.

Now he was the bad guy somehow?

Noctis waved around his hands, frustratedly trying to articulate his thoughts without words. “If you say that I'll only like yours, then there's no way he'll ever beat you!”

“You want him to beat me?”

“N-no, but...” At first troubled, arms tightly crossed over his chest, Noctis soon began to pick up as he realized his feelings. “I want to let him try. I don't want him to get discouraged. Yours is so good to me because I've tried it so many times; over and over with all kinds of ingredients. This orange tart is like the strawberry one, but I already like it more than before. I want to know how it'll be the tenth and twentieth time I try it.”

That was exactly the sort of thing Ignis expected of him as king.

“That's it,” Ignis said again, putting his hands together as if to close the discussion. “You both did well.”

Noctis turned a little red at the childish praise, but David ate it up. He looked between them and bowed his head, then took a step back. “I-I'm sorry, I didn't even tell you guys congratulations. So- Congratulations.

Noctis lifted his pastry to give him cheers. “Thanks for the treats. Feel free to keep trying to beat Ignis. As a chef, that's gotta be like life's toughest challenge.”

It wasn't about beating him. The big smile on David's face told them that he understood that.

As he watched David scuttle away, returning to the kitchen before he could be scolded by the head chef for disappearing from the kitchen, Ignis felt something grab him by the heart. It was a satisfying feeling. Seeing someone else who was just at the start of their own journey reminded him of how far they'd come, and it reminded him that there was always more. His recipe had a name, and so did David's, but they weren't finished.

“It's about traveling the road at your own pace, making up your own recipes... Finding your own solutions.”

He and Noctis had already figured that out. If they were the ones leading, then that was what he wanted to share.

After Coctura returned to Dino and he and Noctis were on their own, Noctis leaned closer to his side and touched his arm. “Hey. Do you think that's what having kids is like? Don't get the wrong idea, okay? I'm still just a kid myself. I don't have the time to be looking after a kid, but... I kind of liked whatever that was.”

“It's called being a role model. Apparently you enjoy your job.” Ignis awarded him with a kiss to the cheek.

With the conversation going in a direction he hadn't expected, Noctis sought a way out. “Don't get any ideas, alright? I'm not saying that I don't like the thought of kids, but right now I'm all you have time to think about.”

Still adorable. Noctis had found the most unapologetically selfish-sounding way to say that he didn't want to think about kids yet. Ignis had no strong feelings about the matter at the moment, so he didn't feel like teasing him about his answer. After getting his vision back, there were a lot of things he wanted to do, so he also wanted to act like a kid.

They reconfirmed their devotion to each other, so, in a way, it felt like they were back at the beginning with a new start, but nothing had really changed. They were the way they'd always been; brushing shoulders, stealing glances, showing each other casual affection whenever they found the chance. Now that he knew his own fragility and the kinds of things he stood to lose, Ignis wanted to be the kind of person he grew up trying to keep Noctis from being. He didn't want to be self-sacrificing. He wanted to take every second of Noctis's for himself.

That grin on Noctis's face said he felt the same.

If someday they had a child who grew up to succeed them, that freedom and passion was what they would pass on, without a doubt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to mention it, but please assume that Prompto shaved for this chapter. Very important detail.


	5. Happiness

It was hard to believe that Noctis was a gloomy kid once upon a time. He still had his moments, especially when it came to confronting the reality of the world and his place in it, but since he regained his vision, Ignis noticed how much more Noctis smiled. That was the thing he'd been fighting for, and that was what he had protected with his sacrifice, so to find out that it was still there and brighter than ever made him feel so accomplished.

Noctis still acted shy and deflected when their guests gave him gifts and compliments, but that smile kept resiliently coming back. He looked so _happy_. Ignis had always known that he was happy, even if he had been unable to see, but he had no idea how often Noctis smiled. Compared to the way he used to be, the difference was like night and day. The people who hadn't known him when he was younger, when he was a dark and troubled youth, probably would have never guessed that he had a period like that.

When they were little, he was usually cheerful. Like any normal child, he enjoyed playing and listening to Ignis read him stories. Just an adorable kid.

But then he sustained that injury... And he never really came back from it. When Noctis woke up after that incident, it was like a part of him had been taken away. In school, he didn't make friends easily, and when he came home, he usually just sat around quietly, doing nothing, projecting an air of obedience until he was able to sneak out at night. During the day, Ignis was worried about him. It bothered him to see him acting so differently, but then he slowly started to accept that they were growing up and maybe Noctis was just changing.

He tried to think that way... But when he snuck out with him and he saw Noctis smiling at the stars, he wasn't able to lie to himself. The Noctis he loved was still there beside him, locked away, just looking for those moments when he was able to feel carefree and happy again.

That was what Ignis really wanted to protect; that happiness, as fragile and fleeting as it was.

Even when he was in high school, it was the same. No, perhaps it got worse, because everything Noctis had been holding back and suppressing finally erupted from him when it became too much to bear, and that wasn't how it was supposed to be. Ignis knew that he should have done something, but, by that point, he'd also been locking things away without realizing it, and he only made things worse.

It was necessary for them to self-destruct like that. At that point, once so much had been packed inside of them, there was nowhere else for it to go. Even if they had understood what they were doing and became self-aware, it wouldn't have been enough to make it all suddenly go away. So it was necessary. It hurt. It was terribly painful. But then it was gone and the happiness he thought he might never see again returned.

Looking back, having a reconciliation over Cup Noodles sounded too silly to be believed, but that was what happened, and that night was what set a precedent for their future. They would keep trying. Trying and trying. Doing everything together, relying on each other, having trust.

There was a point, after he'd been blinded, where Ignis thought that he might've been wrong, that it was too naïve to believe that all problems could be solved with hopefulness and friendship. He was supposed to be Noctis's advisor. He was meant to guide him using unbiased logic. But... Just by being near him, he'd started valuing his feelings over reason.

That would have been enough to have plunged him into despair if Noctis hadn't been there. Noctis was his charge, so it wasn't supposed to be his responsibility to be taking care of _him_ , but Noctis refused to let him go.

That was foolish, he thought.

That thought was still on Ignis's mind as he stood in their palace chambers ten years later, admiring the precious smile of his beloved king.

Yes. He was a fool.

“That was amazing and all, but I'm kind of glad we're alone now, you know? If a wedding didn't practically beg for the presence of other people, I'd probably be happy just doing it alone with you. Of course I want everyone to know how much I love you, but I also want the moment to be just about us. When there are other people around, I don't feel like I have the opportunity to just... flop into your arms at will or kiss you deeply or even stare into your eyes. Prompto probably got more embarrassing pictures of me, too...”

So that was his concern.

It made Ignis laugh. It didn't bother him at all, hearing Noctis say that he would've preferred doing it alone. “Perhaps the next time, we can go somewhere special, just the two of us. Then you can do all of the uninhibited gazing your heart desires.”

That didn't appear to bother Noctis in the least. He turned back toward him, the evening light from the windows putting a glow around his silhouette. With one brow raised, an impish smile on his lips, he took those few steps back toward Ignis and pressed himself against his chest, pushing himself into his arms. “I know you're just teasing, but I really want that,” he said, a certain sort of gentleness evident in the distant sound of his voice.

For perhaps the thousandth time that day, Ignis's heart throbbed in his chest. Standing as close as they were, part of him hoped that Noctis was able to feel it. “I love you, Noct.”

“I love you too, Speccy. Forever and ever.” He pulled back just far enough to let Ignis see his grin.

“You know I can see perfectly fine without these,” Ignis said, lifting his frames from the bottom to remind him of his new and improved super-eyes. “Still going to keep calling me that?”

“They're on your face, aren't they?”

“Fair enough.”

He had a point. Not like he minded, anyway. It was cute that Noctis was still using that old nickname for him. His ears even twitched a little every time he heard him call him 'Iggy'. Familiar terms of endearment sounded especially fulfilling when they came from someone who used to be all shy and closed-off. Ignis was glad that Noctis had become a more open person, but he still indulged a little selfishly in the fact that he was the only person Noctis was always one hundred percent himself around.

Unable to help himself any longer, Ignis bridged the small distance between them by placing his lips to Noctis's. He planned for it to be just a light, brief kiss, but Noctis's hands found the back of his neck and pulled him into it, forcing open his lips. If that were what he wanted, he couldn't complain. Just like always, he let himself get swept up in Noctis's rhythm and went along with him, wrapping his arms around his waist, returning his kiss until a mild heat was born between them.

As soon as he saw the chance, however, Ignis broke away so he could speak his thought before he lost it.

“Noct-” He wasn't able to say much more than that at first as Noctis chased after his mouth. Ignis fixed him with a look and put a finger to his lips to make him settle. “This may not have been a full-fledged wedding ceremony all over again, but we are going to have some time, so is there anywhere you'd like to go? You can think of it as honeymoon number two.”

“Honeymoon...” Noctis's eyes became all round and excited at the sound of that. He let go of Ignis and began pacing in a small circle, humming to himself as he thought about it.

The last time, they visited a warm place in the south with beaches and nice hotels. At first, they considered spending their honeymoon in Altissia, but they agreed that being there would have brought back memories that would have spoiled the mood, as sad as it was. No matter how much time had passed since then, Ignis couldn't imagine him suggesting it.

Eventually, he stopped his pacing and stood there with his hands on his waist, staring at the floor. “Sorry. I can't think of any place that would be 'romantic'. I've failed you. For some reason, all that kept coming to mind was that dream we had together. I don't know what my mind's trying to tell me. Have a honeymoon in dreamland?”

Strangely, Ignis thought he knew what Noctis's memory was trying to tell him. “Someplace where we can see the stars, then?”

After pulling away, Noctis turned and looked toward the windows with a faraway kind of gaze, perhaps diving into the memory of that dream they shared with Carbuncle. “Maybe that's why we had that dream in the first place... I wanted you to see what I could see.”

The evening was fast approaching night. Soon, the day of their reuniting would be at an end. Ignis was sort of sad to see it go, but watching it leave was the only way to see the stars. His feet led him unconsciously toward the floor-length windows and he stared out, placing a hand on the glass, watching as the stars joined the moon in the dusky pink sky.

“I can see the stars from anywhere now. It matters little to me how bright and clear they are or where I view them from as long as you're the one beside me,” he said, focusing his eyes on Noctis's reflection. “Didn't you ever realize? The astronomy book, the nights when we escaped to see the stars, the nights along our trip when we waited for them to come out... It was all an excuse.”

Noctis's face twisted with a cross of hurt and surprise. “So... You don't actually like stargazing?”

He turned back toward him and pretended to huff. “Where'd you get that? Of course I do. Of course it also pained me to think that I may never see them again, but it wasn't that I missed the stars... I was afraid of losing what they meant to us.”

Noctis must have never put it into such words for himself. After he said that, he looked lost for a moment, staring, lips parted as if there were something he had to say but lacked the words for. It was that kind of feeling.

And since Noctis had never been especially good with words, he didn't bother coming up with new ones. Ignis already knew what was going through his head, so it didn't bother him. Noctis didn't try to say anything unnecessary, just letting it sink in, then silently showed that he acknowledged and shared that feeling by coming forward, by resting against his shoulder. Looking down at him, Ignis admired his contemplative expression and the silence.

If the two of them lived for a thousand years, there probably would have been a point where they stopped needing words altogether.

“Even if I died, I would love you forever. I promised you, didn't I? Always.”

Remaining as he was, comfortably pressed to his shoulder, Noctis just tipped back his head slightly to look up at him. A small smile lit up his eyes, but there was a sound of hopeful hesitance in his voice. “Really? You wouldn't want me to move on and find love with somebody else? You'd keep waiting for me on the other side?”

“A promise is a promise. I meant what I said.” He placed a kiss to Noctis's forehead. It was begging for it when it was right there.

“Then that's a good promise,” Noctis said. It looked like he took his word for it that easily. “When we gave our all against Ardyn and I had to summon my strength, I could have sworn I saw my father. I don't think I was dreaming... I think our spirits really do stay here forever, like the ancestral kings, just observing and... existing. If that's how it is, then I hope that 'forever' means forever. I don't want to live forever – I just want to be with you, always, for as long as the universe exists.”

Once, Ignis might have thought that was asking for too much, but, to his current self, it sounded like a simple wish. That was what he wanted, too.

“Do you think it's too early to make a wish?” Ignis asked, looking back up at the sky where the sun was still visible just above the horizon, fading behind the skyline.

“What, on a star?” Noctis asked, pretending to tease him for saying something childish. “Yeah. You might want to wait a while – at least until it gets dark. I can wait with you, but we're going to have to find something to do to pass the time...”

Looking at Noctis's face, there was no question about what kind of 'something' he had in mind. Nearly the second after they entered the room, he was devouring his mouth, so he must have been occupied with that thought for a while. Spending so much time around people they knew must have put him at his wits' ends. Noctis was still the low-energy type. Even if it were friends, being in the presence of a lot of people was draining on him.

He wanted to waste time with him, but he also looked like he desperately needed a nap.

Well, either way, they were heading for the bed.

Ignis put a hand at the back of Noctis's neck, gently stroking the soft hair there for a moment as he looked into his eyes before sliding his hand to his shoulder to guide him toward the bed.

As soon as he reached the bed, Noctis sat down and unclasped his heavy mantle. It looked great on him and made him look sophisticated and regal, but he hated wearing it. Said it was too hot and annoying. Ignis was silently glad that he didn't have to worry about such a thing. When it came to his own wardrobe, because the Insomnian throne had no precedent for a marriage between two men, he had a choice between sticking with his Kingsglaive uniform or wearing something more like Noctis's raiment. While he would have been still honored to wear that uniform, a change felt more appropriate to accept his promotion to prince.

Like Noctis, he wore an all-black suit, not a far cry from the look they wore at their wedding. The only difference was that he didn't wear the ornate mantle. Even if Noctis hated it, it was exclusive to the king and not to be worn by anyone else.

...It really was quite an awkward piece, though. After he took it off, it had nowhere to go except the place specially dedicated to it in the closet. Noctis must've been feeling particularly vindictive towards it because he took it off and dropped it on the floor.

“Please, Noct. It's a symbol. At least show it a little more respect than that.”

“My dad hated it too,” Noctis said as he kicked his legs up onto the bed and linked his hands behind his head.

He thought that saying that gave him some kind of permission to mistreat it... Maybe it did. All Ignis cared about was getting it off the floor. He had the feeling that if Noctis seriously left it there, he was going to be the one to trip over it. He didn't want their romantic day to be ruined with one of them getting a concussion, so he picked it up despite Noctis's grumbling. Taking his jacket from him as well, Ignis dutifully placed the mantle back where it belonged and hung their jackets.

Having a walk-in closet was one of those things he didn't truly appreciate the absurdity of until he was able to see. He and Noctis weren't the types who needed all that space. It was mostly filled with different suits for different occasions and their appropriate accompanying footwear.

He liked it, though. He liked seeing all of his suits on one side and all of Noctis's on the other with the royal mantle hung between.

By the time he turned off the light and returned, Noctis had already taken off his socks and was in the process of removing his leg brace.

“How was today?” Ignis asked, taking a seat next to him at the edge of the bed.

Noctis's leg was a problem that had no miraculous solution. The injury that put him in a wheelchair as a child never completely went away. It healed as well as it was able to, but the lingering damage began to catch up with him in his late twenties, likely due to the great deal of stress he put on it from fighting and hunting and walking across every corner of the kingdom. Exercise was good for it, but there was a level of excess that Noctis had ignored, worsening it.

“Not great. I don't complain, though.”

Ignis leaned over, gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I know. You're very good about it. However, if you ever need anything... Well, you know that's what I'm here for. Even if you just want my ear.”

Noctis unclasped the lock and removed it, then stared at it in his hands. “I just... don't want to end up with a cane,” he said. He was probably thinking about his father. It was then a distant memory, but Ignis still remembered the way Noctis reacted when he saw Regis with a cane. It shook him. The circumstances were very different, but that image must have left a scar on him.

“If you're concerned about looking weak, I can only assure you that you won't. Pain itself is not a weakness – it only is if you allow it to be. A weak man would sit down and stay down.” He spoke from experience, but his own experience was somewhat different, so it didn't feel wholly right to compare. “I know I might sound like a hypocrite. I preferred to struggle without a cane than to appear as though I needed anyone else's help. I may have discarded it, but, after I started relying on others in spite of that, I realized... If there's something that makes your life easier, only a foolish, vain man would ignore it.”

“I feel like I just got owned,” Noctis said, leaning over to playfully elbow Ignis in the side.

Letting out a soft laugh of his own, Ignis put an arm around him and gave him a squeeze. “You aren't the sort who would rather suffer. If it gets so bad that you require assistance, you know that you will be no less in my eyes.”

“I guess this is why I love you,” Noctis said, resting his cheek against his shoulder. “There isn't a single person on the planet I feel more comfortable with. I still feel like a kid sometimes – like I just want to impress you – but... I know I don't have to now, and that's a really comforting feeling.”

Ignis took the brace from him and set it near the bed. (That one he wouldn't be stepping on.) With the arm he had around Noctis, he lifted him slightly to get him to the center of the bed, making sure his head was resting on the pillow, then moved up next to him, sitting on his knees. He loved taking care of him, and he was happy that he was able to feel like he could support him even further since his sight had been restored. One of his fears was growing old with him and reaching a point where he would have been unable to support him on his own.

For as long as he could, it was his wish to stay by his side and care for him. His duty became his lifelong desire.

One of Noctis's hands caught him by the wrist and pulled him down to sloppily land a kiss on his jaw. He was probably aiming for his cheek, but he didn't look disappointed. Ignis just turned his head and connected their lips.

When he sat back up and moved his hands to the front of Noctis's shirt to begin removing the buttons, Noctis stretched out and relaxed into the bed. “Hey... Remember what Prompto said? I really would like to go scavenging with him sometime. I miss doing things like that, and, with the way my leg's been getting, I feel like I should go out and be adventurous while I still can.”

“I would enjoy that, too,” Ignis said. With the last of the buttons undone, he ran a hand over the skin he uncovered. Even after so much, Noctis's skin was nearly flawless. “I feel especially inclined to agree now, seeing as how I feel stronger now than I did before I even lost my sight. I learned how to compensate for it – and I still usually only use one eye.”

“You sound like some kind of anime character. When you open your other eye, does your full power activate?”

Actually, it was sort of like that. “Yes. Quite possibly.”

“You know, I feel like I should find a new way to fight, too. I trained for so long with warp strikes, but I think they're the most taxing on me physically. And I don't want to rely on the Armiger... for reasons I'm sure I don't need to repeat.”

Without a doubt, he was referring to the situation with his father again. It was because of the Kings' power that Regis required a cane. It went without saying that the condition of Noctis's knee would only worsen if he kept using that power. It was for the value of his own life and health that he decided to be the last Lucian king and relinquish that sacrificial power forever. The royal ring was displayed in the front hall of the palace, there to be appreciated as a piece of history and never worn again.

Ignis passed his hand over Noctis's chest and laid his palm over his heart, feeling it beat.

“I'll help you,” he said.

Perhaps there was something he could do with magic. Noctis had always been very magically adept. No matter what they ended up doing, Ignis felt sure that they could develop a new way for him to fight that wouldn't be as demanding on his body.

Noctis grabbed his hand and brought it up to his lips, giving his knuckles a kiss. “I'm so damn glad I married you. Seriously, I think about it every day. Best decision ever.”

“Every day?” Ignis asked.

“Every day.”

Just hearing that made Ignis's heart swell. He never had any doubts about such a thing – he just loved being reminded. “That right there is why I said yes.”

He leaned over him, cradling Noctis's cheek, and pressed their lips together. That time, he let the kiss turn into whatever it wanted to be, responding as Noctis parted his lips, sliding his tongue inside, letting them entwine passionately. As Noctis caressed his tongue, a moan involuntarily escaped from Ignis's mouth, and he felt Noctis's responding laugh just as much as he heard it.

Every little thing made him love him more...

Indeed, if they lived for a thousand years, it was the sort of love that would have overflowed to fill the universe. It was too much for one fragile human body to contain.

Ignis opened his eyes and looked down at him through slightly blurry lenses.

Parting from his lips, Ignis sat up and removed his glasses, lightly touching his fingers to his face. They came away with tears on the fingertips. He didn't feel sad or anything. “I held it together earlier while we were in front of everyone. Looks like it caught up with me,” he said, drying his eyes.

“Even your teary face is handsome...” Noctis said, staring at him like he was admiring him, kind of awed and jealous.

Having such attention made Ignis feel as though he were at least ten years younger; bashful over receiving a compliment from his best friend. It was an admittedly silly-sounding compliment, but it got him good.

“The good thing about being able to see without glasses is that I don't need to worry about cleaning them anymore. My face feels strange without them on, but I can still see you, so that's all that really matters,” Ignis said, feeling a bit sly as he folded his glasses and put them on the nightstand. He knew that Noctis was weak to seeing him without them on.

“Come here, good-looking.” Noctis grabbed him by the waist and pulled him over, forcing him to straddle his waist or fall over. Once Noctis had him in front of him, he began unbuttoning his shirt for him. Ignis just sighed and allowed him, enjoying the attention.

He enjoyed watching him. It was something he'd taken for granted in the past; simply being able to see him, to watch him, the little things. Although a part of him had always been aware of Noctis's feelings, it wasn't until they were safely out of harm's way that they began a relationship. He touched Noctis for the first time after he'd already lost his sight. More than worrying about whether he would hurt him, he was just disappointed by all the things he was missing.

Noctis was blessedly patient with him and still showed the same consideration for him even after he regained his vision, but he became a little more timid. He didn't think it was his imagination. Noctis's hands were a little more hesitant, and his gaze was indirect, his eyes always dodging somewhere else as he touched him, like knowing that he was watching made him nervous.

“By the way,” Ignis said, reaching out, touching Noctis's face, “you've always been so kind, reassuring me of my appearance. Now I feel like I should let you know what I see.”

“That's alright.”

“No, no, I insist.” The second he moved his hand, tracing a finger along Noctis's jaw, he watched as he sharply inhaled and his chest lifted, as he swallowed and his adam's apple bobbed. The warm red in his cheeks quickly spread to his neck. Ignis almost thought he didn't need to say anything when the image was painted out in front of him so clearly for the both of them to see, but verbalizing it was the oh-so-fun part. “I can't believe how much I was missing. Look at you... Red all over already?” He swiped his finger down his chest. “You're sweating.”

“A-anyone would be...”

Ignis tilted his head and acted confused. “Really? But I haven't even done anything.”

Muttering to himself, Noctis sat up just enough to free his shirt from under him and pulled it off, then tossed it at him. Despite the indignant attitude, he didn't say anything. He just laid back down and put his arms at his sides and looked away. Possibly, he was silently submitting to whatever Ignis wanted to do. It would have furthered his embarrassment if he had to admit that he liked being teased.

Noctis was quite a sight to behold. It wasn't like that was a surprising thing, but there was a point when Ignis had accepted that he would only be able to appreciate his body with his hands. The first time, and perhaps for a while after that, the deprivation of his sight had enhanced the experience, but the disappointment eventually caught up with him. It lost its uniqueness. It made him wish that being blind was just a choice, like he could strip it off like a blindfold and see him again...

So, to be able to see him there underneath his hands was a dream come true. Something so simple made his heart race.

He didn't realize what sort of effect he was having on Noctis until he heard him let out a pleasant-sounding sigh. His eyes were half-lidded and he was trembling slightly. Ignis hadn't even realized that he'd been absently touching him until his hands stopped and Noctis quietly told him to keep going. He probably thought he was just teasing him again.

Ignis used that to his advantage. He hadn't been doing much of anything, but Noctis looked like he was already in a trance, mesmerized by his featherlight touches. Spreading out his fingers, he touched him more, targeting the places his eyes found most appealing; along his sides, over his shoulders, into the delicate dip of his collarbones – places that frequently went ignored.

His fingers lingered around his throat, his eyes unwilling to stray from the fragile, pale skin that pulsed with life beneath his fingertips. After staring for a second more, he leaned in and ghosted his lips over his skin, breathed out between his parted lips, breathed in his scent through his nose. Noctis let out another sigh, sounding more relaxed, but the way that his hips shifted on the bed told Ignis that each of his little touches was getting him worked up.

As he pressed his lips to the underside of Noctis's jaw and lightly sucked on the sensitive skin there, one of his hands crept down Noctis's body, just barely brushing along his side before stopping at his hip. Just to surprise him with something unexpected, he grasped his hip firmly, letting him feel his fingertips pressing into his skin. He wanted to taste that spot too, but he kept his mouth occupied with Noctis's throat as he moved his hand teasingly toward the waist of his pants.

Noctis lifted his hips, moving with him as if he thought he were going to touch him more directly, but not just yet. Ignis wanted to keep him waiting. He wanted to see his face when he was desperate for it. Although he loved giving him what he wanted, he knew that he could make Noctis want it even _more._

Pulling back, he looked down at him, at his flushed cheeks and the cute twist between his brows. Before Noctis could say anything, Ignis captured his lips and silenced him. He slipped the tips of his fingers beneath the waist of his pants, but went no farther, smirking to himself as he felt Noctis gasp against his mouth. His belt was still on, so he couldn't have gone any farther than that anyway. It was to his benefit to make do with what he could reach.

That area between his belt and the dip of his stomach was an especially sensitive place, he found. He barely had to do a thing. As long as he kept brushing his fingers across his skin there in patterns Noctis didn't expect, it had an astounding effect on him.

Noctis was clearly trying to keep it together, but his composure was crumbling so quickly that he couldn't salvage it.

“Come on,” Noctis muttered, lifting a hand to weakly push at Ignis's chest.

Ignis didn't know whether he had it in him to keep making him wait when he sounded like that, but he figured he had time to pull another trick from his sleeve.

“I see you learned nothing from me. Is that any way to ask for what you want?” Ignis asked. Moving back, he sat up over Noctis's legs. Looking down at him, he skirted his fingers over the edge of his open shirt, hoping that he looked enticing. It seemed to have the desired effect; Noctis's eyes went to his chest and stayed there, fixated. To get him to come back, Ignis gave a snap of his fingers in front of his face.

“Ah- ...Yes?” Noctis said, staring dumbly.

“You don't know what to say?”

He kept staring at his chest. “I... don't know what words are right now, sorry. Please leave a message.”

Well, he tried. He was kind of impressed with himself that his looks were able to leave Noctis stupefied. His tactic worked better than anticipated.

Since he had him in such a state, he figured that it was the perfect opportunity to do as he pleased with him. While Noctis was busy staring, Ignis shrugged off his shirt and dropped it to the floor along with Noctis's from earlier, then slid down a ways so he could get his hands on Noctis's belt buckle. Beneath his hands, he felt Noctis jump at the contact, surprised, probably having a certain expectation for where that would lead.

He wasn't wrong. Ignis was also getting worked up and was starting to lose his patience. With just a glance down, he could see that Noctis's arousal was evident, the effects of his touches showing.

After Ignis unbuckled his belt and pulled it through the loops, he put it with the rest of their things and turned his attention to the part of him that was begging for him. Noctis let out the most beautiful sound when he touched him through the front of his pants. When they were alone with no one around to hear them, Noctis wasn't very concerned about the sounds he made or who would hear them, but, now that he knew that Ignis was able to see him, he seemed more conscious of it for some reason. He pulled his lower lip between his teeth and closed his eyes, chest glistening with sweat as he focused hard on controlling himself.

“No need to hold back with me, my king,” Ignis said, making sure he caught his eye as he gave him another squeeze.

That time, no matter what he tried, Noctis wasn't able to hold it back. He pressed his head back into the pillow and let out a needy groan as Ignis worked his hand back and forth, feeling the shape of him.

His precious king was in such an undignified position. Ignis was positively beaming.

“You don't want me to come in my pants, do you?” Noctis asked, lifting his head to stare at him. He was probably trying to look assertive, but he just looked needy.

“Would you?” Ignis asked.

He released his hand for a moment and was amused by the frantic look that came over Noctis's face at the loss of contact. He didn't want to ask him to keep touching him like that, but it was obvious that he was enjoying it despite whatever he had to say. So Ignis placed his hand back over him and continued stroking in the same manner, running his palm over the smooth fabric, alternating between squeezing and lightly stroking the outline of his cock. It was impossible to get a firm grasp on him with a couple layers of fabric between them, but Noctis was pressing up into his hand, trying to receive whatever he could get.

Noctis panted and lifted a hand to his mouth, trying ineffectually to cover up his sounds. It seemed like he'd given up and just wanted to look like he was still trying.

Ignis leaned over him, keeping his hand on him, raising the other to move the one away from Noctis's mouth. “Could it be... you really enjoy this?” he asked, a breath away from his lips.

“Are you accusing me of wanting to come with my clothes still on?” As if asking him that would somehow make Ignis doubt its truth.

“Mm. Indeed, that's exactly what I'm doing.” He opened his left eye and stared into Noctis's with both, then kissed his lower lip and gave it a swipe with his tongue. “Ever since I regained my sight, I've noticed the way you tremble under my gaze. I get the feeling that you actually quite enjoy the feeling of humiliation, so long as you know that I'm watching.”

“That's... a-absurd...”

Tightening his hand granted him another wonderful sound that Noctis failed to contain. “There's nothing absurd about it. I'm flattered. I enjoy seeing how hot and bothered you get when I'm looking at you. As for the matter of humiliation... I reckon you enjoy my teasing because you feel comfortable and safe with me. You said so yourself, didn't you?”

Noctis had to know there was nothing he could say to deny that. Ignis had him all figured out.

Instead, Noctis put his arms around him and pulled him down against him. Holding him close, he nudged his head against Ignis's shoulder and took in a deep breath. Immediately, Ignis noticed how hot he was, could feel him pressing against his thigh, rubbing with small movements of his hips. “I feel like a teenager again. I always felt kind of selfish, since only I was able to see you. I wanted you to see me, too. Now I... Now that you can, I...”

Chest rising and falling with harsh breaths, Noctis looked up at him, his eyes hazy, yet they held clear focus.

That look was almost too much. Getting him so worked up just made Ignis want to satisfy him with what he wanted. He couldn't handle it anymore.

Gently, he pushed him back and moved his hands back to the fastenings of Noctis's pants, intent on finally removing them for him. For a second, he thought that Noctis might stop him, but he laid back obediently and only whined softly as he waited for him. Truth be told, Ignis didn't want to ruin Noctis's fine slacks. They were very nice... Perhaps some other time, they could go that far. But, for the moment, he was feeling too anxious and wished to spare them.

Ignis clenched his jaw, but a noise of appreciation came out anyway as he dragged Noctis's pants down his hips and watched his cock spring back up against his stomach. Once he had his pants all the way off and discarded them, he looked down at him and admired his body; more defined than the image he stored in his mind, masculine yet still possessing an uncommon sort of lithe elegance. Noctis was, still, simply beautiful.

And the smell of him... Heavens. The fragrance of their colognes mingled into one, but he could detect the one scent that was uniquely Noctis, the one that wrapped around his senses and made him feel dizzy with desire.

“S... Stare all you like...” Noctis said, red-faced. “You deserve it.”

Ignis wanted to do a lot more than just stare.

First, he held up a finger to tell him to wait a second, then rose from the bed to go to the nightstand momentarily. It was the obvious place to keep the sort of thing he was looking for, and it was convenient to have it there when he wasn't able to see and search freely around the bedroom. Before returning, he chanced a look down at himself and winced at the tightness of his own pants. His head swam when he simply thought about that beautiful creature anxiously waiting for him to have his way with him.

His king... His best friend... The thing his fantasies were made of...

Noctis was everything.

Night was just around the corner. The last remaining embers of the evening light illuminated Noctis's bare skin in an enticing, erotic glow. Looking at him made Ignis sweat, yet he let his eyes linger, drinking in every precious and delicious inch from head to toe as his hands fumbled to remove his pants.

Turning onto his stomach for a second, Noctis grabbed one of the other pillows from the top of the bed and stuck it behind his back as he rolled back over, elevating his hips, making himself nice and comfortable. As Noctis watched him pushing his pants down his hips, he put a hand around himself and stroked lightly, idly, smearing precum from the tip down the length.

Sometime, Ignis told himself, he was going to have to find out if Noctis would mind if he simply watched him. He already felt like he knew many of the things that made him feel good, but he was sure that there were things he could discover by observing. And, since it seemed like Noctis quite enjoyed being watched, it could be a whole evening of its own. Some other time, though. It was mentally bookmarked.

“Just like this, hm?” Ignis asked, climbing onto the bed. As soon as he placed a hand on Noctis's knees, Noctis spread them for him and looked down at him with a sly expression, licking his upper lip. Doing it face-to-face was romantic, but with a look like that... He wasn't sure how long he was going to be able to last against him. Noctis could be a little devil.

His cock throbbed, his blood hot in his veins, searing with the desire to touch and feel him. Flipping open the top of the tube, Ignis squeezed a bit onto two of his fingers and spread it around with his thumb. As much as he wanted to get straight to it, he couldn't do anything without the proper preparation.

Noctis kept one hand wrapped around his cock but reached the other down and used it to spread himself, rubbing his entrance to get relaxed. He still looked a touch embarrassed about the attention on him, but he touched himself casually and purposefully, the way he always had, even before. Aside from being extremely patient, Noctis had also always been very helpful in bed, frequently prepping himself beforehand so Ignis wouldn't need to worry about it.

But that was where he stopped. He looked up at him and waited, leaving the rest to him.

Placing a hand gently on the inside of one of Noctis's thighs, Ignis moved his other hand between his legs and pressed a finger against his entrance. He felt him quiver at the cold touch, but Ignis kept going, lightly pressing until his finger was able to sink inside. A look of pleasure overtook the expression on Noctis's face as Ignis touched him, slowly working him until he was able to slide his finger all the way inside. At that point, he added the second alongside the first, stroking his inner walls with beckoning curls of his fingers, trying more to relax him and make him feel good than anything else. Getting his body properly relaxed was the most important part.

Once it looked like he had Noctis in the palm of his hand, he drew his hand away. Noctis's rough breathing had evened out and his eyes were nearly shut, but his cock was still hard and dripping against his belly. Watching it drip, one glistening drop at a time, Ignis felt like it would have been a shame to let it go to waste, so, giving in to his impulsive desire, he leaned over him. He laid a kiss to Noctis's hip just to make sure he didn't startle him, then gently lapped up his mess.

“Shit, that's hot...”

Ignis lifted his head suddenly, surprised, then grinned. “Couldn't help myself.”

“That's _super_ hot.”

He hummed and sat up. “Are you ready?” he asked, placing a hand over the one Noctis had around his cock, rubbing the head with his thumb.

It was probably unfair of him to expect a response out of him when he did things like that. Before he could speak, Noctis struggled to find his voice. “Y-... Yeah. Please. Please, I'm more than ready now.”

With the taste of him lingering on his lips, Ignis readied himself with some more lube and pressed himself against Noctis's entrance. Just like before, he took his time, waiting to thrust until the head slipped inside. That first taste was always the headiest. Before, it was that first thrust he always looked forward to most; the exquisite heat wrapping around him that felt as though it might engulf his whole body. Once he was able to see, however, he discovered how gratifying that moment was to watch from Noctis's end as well; the way his face twisted with pleasure, the way his body temporarily tensed and his hands sought purchase in the sheets.

Every second was worth watching.

“Noct.” He touched one of the hands Noctis had clasped in the sheets and stroked the back of his palm to help him relax again.

He was glad that worked. Being able to see him helped him find ways to satisfy what Noctis needed. It was funny how much of his own pleasure was derived from making Noctis feel good, but Ignis supposed that was just the kind of person he'd always been.

Taking Noctis's hand in his own, he looked down at him with a fond smile. “I love you,” he said, reaching out to affectionately touch his cheek.

Returning his smile, Noctis chased after his hand, nuzzling, and let out a content sigh. “You, too.”

Moving his hand back down to Noctis's hip, Ignis held on to him and kept himself steady as he began to thrust inside. He took short thrusts, giving mesmerizing rolls of his hips to sink into him a little bit at a time. He had a lot of length to work with, so it took a bit of work to get all of it inside. Though he didn't have to, he knew that Noctis enjoyed feeling him at his full length, so he took his time until every inch was inside of him.

“So good,” Noctis gasped, turning his palm, squeezing his hand back.

“Only the best for you.” Moving his hips, Ignis gave him a few test thrusts, watching the pleasure play across Noctis's face. His hips ached to move, but he kept himself in control, grounded by the touch of the hand in his own. He kept it slow at first, drawing back about halfway, then sinking back in all the way. Going down to the base, he rubbed his hips up against the backs of Noctis's thighs, letting him know that he was taking him at the deepest, showing him what it felt like to be filled completely. The reaction he received was delightful – a little needy sort of whimper – but he wanted to hear more.

Slipping his hand out of Noctis's, he moved both hands to Noctis's chest and lightly flicked his thumbs over his nipples. After all of that preparation, he knew that he'd be feeling more sensitive, and he wasn't wrong. Noctis reacted immediately, involuntarily lifting his hips with a loud, breathless gasp. Noctis never liked admitting that his chest was a weak spot, feeling like it made him seem kind of girly, but he never made an active effort to stop Ignis, always showing him subtle encouragement whenever he touched him there.

The more he grazed his nipples with the blunt tips of his nails, the more Noctis's cock twitched, begging to be touched, drizzling even more precum over his pale stomach. He looked like he was in heaven, gasping and making other sweet noises, and all he could do in his position was helplessly rock against Ignis, hoping to make him keep thrusting.

Ignis told himself that he'd already teased him enough, but he loved watching Noctis lose it more and more, gradually approaching the point of incoherency.

By the point he'd turned him into a babbling mess, he finally stopped and took Noctis's cock into his hand, giving him what he wanted. At that point, Noctis nearly cried, his body twisting against the sheets, every touch assaulting his oversensitive body.

It was incredible how beautiful he'd become. The light of the moon had settled into the room and made his pale skin appear nearly white against the sheets. His hair, loose and wavy, fanned around his head like a crown or black halo, and Ignis couldn't help but stare in awe of him.

As he stroked him, he leaned up and kissed Noctis's cheek and nuzzled his hair. “That wasn't too much was it?”

Noctis turned his head and looked at him with bleary eyes. He laughed breathlessly. “You think this is my limit? You could do a lot more than that.” But then, realizing that he didn't want to provoke him, he added, “But I think that's enough for now. I just... Uh. I really- Just-... Fuck me, alright?”

“Say no more,” Ignis said, chuckling at Noctis's flustered face.

Having that pillow underneath him already put them at the perfect angle. With his length, he didn't worry too much about whether he was able to hit that one spot inside of him. Noctis seemed to already have that figured out on his own and even preferred feeling the raw size of his full length with deep thrusts regardless of where they struck. Just feeling him going deep appeared to be enough for him, and Ignis couldn't complain, either. Being buried deep was the best.

The pace was slow, and Ignis didn't feel the need to quicken it despite the heat simmering inside of him. It was just good. He stayed where he was, leaning over Noctis with his arms on either side of his head, staring into his eyes. Noctis looked so comfortable. Even when he was overcome by pleasure that made his brows pinch together, he didn't look away, letting him see everything.

More than a fire, the pleasure Ignis felt was like a wave gently guiding him across an ocean, connecting him with Noctis on the opposite shore.

He didn't care about how long it would take him to get there as long as he could see him there, and he had the feeling that Noctis felt the same way. There was no need to rush. There was no sense of urgency. The end wasn't their end goal when they were already wrapped in each other's arms.

As they moved against each other, minutes passing by blissfully unnoticed, stars filled the sky and the moon cast the room in midnight colors.

“Ignis...”

By the sound in his voice, Ignis could tell that he was near and didn't want it to end. He didn't want it to end either, but he looked forward to what it would be like, then and thereafter. That day was special, and that moment was different from any other. With their promises of devotion renewed, he felt closer to Noctis than ever before. The closer he came to the edge, the nearer he felt to him, as if he were sinking into him, spirits entwining.

He held him tightly as he came, still deep inside. Perhaps it was feeling him coming that also brought Noctis to his conclusion, wrapping his legs around him, holding him as though he'd let go for nothing.

Ignis might not have minded that if being inside of him didn't start to feel uncomfortable. Still, it was with great effort that he roused himself enough to pull away. He took it upon himself to clean them up as Noctis lazed there in an exhausted daze, totally spent. When he was finished, he collected his bottoms and shirt off the floor and put them back on, leaving his shirt open. He passed Noctis's back to him as well.

Tiredly, Noctis rolled onto his side and tossed aside the pillow he'd been laying on. “What's this for?” he asked.

“Did you already forget? We were just 'wasting time', remember?”

Noctis sat up and looked toward the window, seeming to recall. “Oh yeah. The stars.” He smiled softly. “Feels like a fitting way to end this day.”

He appeared just as tired as he dressed himself, then he stood and stretched his arms over his head. As he stretched and kept stretching, it looked like he was about to fall backwards, dead asleep, but Ignis caught him before anything like that could happen and held him upright. Noctis slumped against him for a moment and mumbled sleepily into his shoulder before shaking himself awake.

He limped slightly, his leg possibly asleep from laying down, but Ignis kept his arm around his waist and brought him over to the window with him.

Before he was able to speak, he heard Noctis snickering at his side.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Should've snuck out. Like old times,” he said. He glanced back over his shoulder and looked at the small pile of clothes on the floor, contemplating his crumpled slacks. “Sure, we can see the stars from here, but don't you want to see them without the window and reflections in the way? That's why I always left. I mean, I couldn't stand being in here anyway, but it wasn't the same. Once I stood outside and saw them, I knew there was no comparison.”

It wasn't a half-bad idea, but... “You have it in you? To put your clothes back on and go all the way outside, I mean.”

“ _How old do you think I am?_ ” Noctis asked, a tad incredulous.

“You were nearly falling asleep five seconds ago. That was hardly an unreasonable question...”

Apparently there was no point in asking. Noctis was already grabbing up his pants and putting them on. Unable to argue with his suggestion, Ignis joined him, and a few seconds later, they were more or less in condition to head out.

Ignis had to point at Noctis's appearance, indicating his bared chest. “You're stepping out like that? Forget about anyone seeing you that way – you'll catch a cold.” It got rather cold at night.

Noctis looked like he had an argument in him, but then he looked down at himself and must have remembered that he didn't enjoy showing skin outside of the bedroom. He simply looked aside, hands at his sides, and waited. He didn't need to say anything for Ignis to understand, and he buttoned it up for him.

 

The halls were silent; midnight blue and glowing where light reached, endless black in the shadows. They still knew just what route to take to avoid the eyes of the patrolling guards.

The only difference between then and the lingering image in Ignis's memory was the disappearance of a certain astronomy book. It was probably around there somewhere. He hadn't wondered about it in years. After moving from the palace to the apartment back to the palace, he couldn't help but feel a little concerned about it, even if it were just an old picture book. Even that, he wanted to see again.

They went to the courtyard. It wasn't the most adventurous of escapes, but it had a fantastic view of the sky. Perhaps there was better, like out in Duscae where city lights were far away, but it was alright. Wherever they were, Ignis felt like he had the best seat as long as he was next to Noctis.

There were benches, but Noctis chose to sit down in the grass near the reflecting pool instead. When Ignis didn't sit, he grabbed him by the hand and pulled him down with him.

“So, can you tell me which constellations are which?” Noctis asked, testing his knowledge.

“I should be the one asking you. Didn't you learn anything from all the times we snuck out?”

Realizing that he'd been caught, Noctis stared really hard at the sky like he was trying to find the star formations. Some of them were obvious even if they were covered by clouds or made hazy by Insomnia's lights, but Noctis looked like he was struggling.

Suddenly, he pointed at two particularly bright stars. “Wait, what about those ones? What constellation are they a part of?”

Truth be told, they didn't look very familiar. They were just floating off on their own, separate from anything else, occupying their own place in the sky. “I don't know, actually. This is where that book would have come in handy.”

“Want me to go get it?” Noctis asked, turning as if he would get up should he say the word.

Ignis was surprised to say the least. “You still have it?”

Noctis blinked. “Y... Yeah, of course. What? Did you think I was going to toss your book? It's got your name on the inside cover.”

He wasn't surprised. He was just... Touched.

That was good to know.

“Let's see...” Ignis leaned back and contemplated those stars. “Why don't we adopt them? They look a little lonely, don't they? They aren't attached to any major constellations.”

Leaning against him, hugging his arm, Noctis looked up at him and grinned. “Got it.” He looked back up at the sky and pointed from one to the other. “That one's the Ignis star, and that one's the Noctis star.”

Ignis laughed. He expected him to do something like that. “Alright, I think that works. You are the king, after all. No one is going to argue with you if you decided to name a star after yourself. Perhaps astronomy books in the future will have our names in them and children will come out on nights like this as we did, looking for the king's and prince's stars.”

“Doesn't matter if anyone remembers,” Noctis said. “For a long, long time, we'll still be up there.”

That reminded him...

There was still a wish to be made.

“Noct, when Carbuncle handed me that star... That was for real, wasn't it? I would feel rather silly if I made a serious wish now for nothing.”

“Yeah, of course that was for real. If you've got a wish, then go for it. I wanna hear what it is.”

It felt like a simple wish to him. He only hoped that it would be heard.

“My wish is for us to be together forever, always. Even when we die and leave this place, I want to remain beside you. If eternity is a thing that exists, then my wish is to spend it with you.”

Noctis didn't say anything, staring at the water in front of them reflecting the sky. For a moment, Ignis worried that it had been too presumptuous of him to wish for something like that. He probably should have made sure that Noctis felt the same way about it first, and...

“Yeah.” He held Ignis's arm more tightly, put his head against his shoulder. “If eternity is a thing that exists... I couldn't imagine it without you. I wouldn't even want to.”

As if responding to that wish, a star crossed the sky. Noctis was still so absorbed in his thinking that he hadn't even noticed it. However, by the time Ignis shook his shoulder and made him look at the sky, another was shooting, and another, and another...

Leaning back, Noctis watched the sky with a big smile on his face. “Like a dream come true.”

Yes, Ignis agreed, looking at Noctis's happily smiling face.

“A dream come true.”


End file.
